By approving the rally in front of the Basic Court in Podgorica by the UP Union, the police administration openly sided with those who abused the citizens of Podgorica in their uniforms, declared the official of the Democratic Front, Nikola Jovanović.
"The announcement of the Police Administration-CB Podgorica that they were not notified of the gathering of police officers in front of the Basic Court in Podgorica by the Union of UP and that it was a self-initiated gathering of union members according to Article 13 of the Law on Public Assemblies is a scandalous cover-up, a violation of the law and represents open support for officers of the police who carried out police torture and abused citizens. In this way, the Police Directorate openly sided with those who in its uniforms abused the citizens of Podgorica and supported the views of their colleagues who were present in front of the court, at the moment when it was decided to determine custody, exerted open pressure for their colleagues to be released from prison to defend themselves," said Jovanović.
He points out that "it is clear that the Police Directorate and its officials are behind this gathering".
"Otherwise, they would have acted in accordance with the law and initiated misdemeanor and disciplinary proceedings against the organizers of this "spontaneous" public gathering. It is symptomatic that they did not condemn the evident violation of work duties because the UP officers protested in uniform during their working hours, even though it is the opposite law and police ethics, and many of them carried official weapons on that occasion as well and came to the meeting place in official cars".
Jovanović states that according to the Law on Public Gatherings and Events, a public gathering means any gathering of more than 20 people in an open space for the purpose of expressing political, social and other beliefs and goals, protests, interests and diversity.
"The organizer is obliged to submit a written application for the holding of a public gathering, no later than five days before its holding. The application is submitted to the police at the venue of the public gathering. The entire public had the opportunity to see for themselves that over 20 UP officials were present at this gathering and it is evident that in the legal sense it was a public gathering, which was not reported and which was not held in accordance with the law, which is why sanctions must be taken against the organizers of this event. It is incorrect that it was a spontaneous gathering and the Police Directorate deliberately disavows the public and The law stipulates that in the event that in an open space, suitable for public non-violent expression of political, social and other beliefs, there is a gathering of more than 20 people, which may occur as a reaction to certain events, which could not be foreseen , the police officer will inform the participants of that gathering that the gathering is not organized in accordance with the law and warn them that they are obliged to respect the law. Therefore, the obligation of the UP-CB Podgorica was, if they had no knowledge that their employees were planning a "spontaneous gathering", immediately after the gathering in front of the Basic Court, they would send a police patrol that would inform their colleagues that they had not reported the public gathering, that they had gathered at the place where the protest cannot be held and they are invited to disperse peacefully. If they refuse such an order, further application of the law would follow, which would imply further application of powers, including the application of coercive means."
Jovanović recalled the actions of members of the Police Administration during the gathering organized by the Democratic Front.
"The police administration initiated more than 30 misdemeanor proceedings against the Democratic Front, although at some of them slightly more than 20 citizens were present. The last event, when 12.000 euros were forcibly charged from the accounts of DF constituents for a protest march of 23 people that took place in Šavnik, best demonstrates the selectivity in application of the law and brutal abuse by the police. On the one hand, the abuse of official duties and powers initiates unfounded proceedings against the DF, while on the other hand protection is provided to officers of the Police Directorate who break the law. This points to a clear conclusion that this action was designed and carried out by the top of the Police Administration in order to put pressure on the court so that violators of the law in police uniforms are not ordered to be detained. Such events are a clear indication that in Montenegro the institutions of the system are in fact points for dealing with political miscreants and that every henchman who violates the law will be protected from the application of the law and thus will not be responsible for all the misdemeanor and criminal acts he commits. This has once again proven that the law in Montenegro does not apply to anyone, because the politically unfit are punished contrary to the law, while the perpetrators of DPS criminal policy are above the law. In the events of the last few days, the police administration has shown its true face, which was revealed even during the violent crackdown of the DF civil protests. Due to all these examples of police torture and the grave shame that this once honorable profession has experienced, the long-term managers should be dismissed as a matter of urgency, headed by Police Director Slavko Stojanović and Minister of the Interior Mevludin Nuhodžić, and all individuals who violated the law under processed and sanctioned by law by their leadership. As usual, this will not happen because the Police Directorate is one of the main levers of the DPS authority and enjoys full political and institutional protection for all the illegalities it carries out, which obviously comes from the top of the Government of Duško Marković, who has not even spoken out on this issue," he concluded. is Jovanovic.
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