On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the murder of Duško Jovanović, co-founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper "Dan", the OSCE representative for freedom of the media, Teresa Ribeiro, and the head of the OSCE Mission in Montenegro, Ambassador Dominik Vag, invited the competent authorities in Montenegro to proactively investigate and resolve this long-standing case.
They also called for action based on the recommendations of the National Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists, which, among other things, appeals to the authorities to re-examine all evidence using modern technology.
"On May 27, 2004, Jovanović was killed while leaving his office in Podgorica. Although in 2015 one person was legally sentenced to 19 years in prison for complicity, the perpetrators of Jovanović's murder are still unknown to this day," the announcement reminds.
Ribeiro said that the murder of a journalist is one of the most brutal attacks on freedom of expression and democracy.
"Delaying justice for such heinous acts of violence has far-reaching consequences for Montenegrin society. It not only contributes to the culture of impunity, but can also lead to an environment of fear and self-censorship among other journalists. After my recent visit to the country, I believe that the authorities will continue with the necessary activities in order to finally shed light on this heinous crime and enable a free, safe and pluralistic media environment in Montenegro," she said.
Vag said that the Mission continues to be a partner that supports journalists and stressed that freedom of the media and safety of journalists are essential obligations of the OSCE. "Journalists who investigate organized crime and high-level corruption play an important role in preserving democracy and cohesion in our societies. Resolving unresolved cases of violence against journalists will improve the public's perception of justice and due process in Montenegro," she pointed out.
Ribeiro and Vag recalled the decision of the OSCE Ministerial Council on the safety of journalists from 2018, adopted by consensus of all OSCE participating states, including Montenegro.
"This decision recognizes the important role of investigative journalists in holding public institutions and officials accountable, as well as the need to ensure that they can work without fear of reprisals. Moreover, in this important OSCE decision, participating states have committed to will 'take effective measures to end impunity for crimes committed against journalists, by ensuring accountability as a key element in preventing future attacks, including ensuring that law enforcement institutions conduct prompt, effective and impartial investigations into acts of violence and threats against journalists, in order to bring to justice all those responsible brought to justice and ensured that victims have access to appropriate legal remedies,'' the statement concludes.
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