Action for Human Rights (HRA) called on the Assembly to react to the incident in the premises of Vijesta, when MP Branko Radulović insulted and threatened the employees of that media.
On December 15, HRA sent a letter to the President of the Assembly, Ranko Krivokapić, as well as to the President of the Committee for Human Rights and Freedoms, Halil Duković, with the question of whether proceedings will be initiated against Radulović for violating the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament.
HRA believes that it is necessary for the competent Committee for Human Rights to conduct the procedure in accordance with the Code, in order to prevent such behavior of deputies in the future.
"Although the foreseen sanctions for violation of the Code of Ethics of MPs - admonition and removal from the Assembly sessions - would not have an effect in this case, because the Democratic Front coalition, i.e. the Movement for Change, the party whose MP is Professor Radulović, does not participate in the work of the Assembly", they added. are from HRA.
In that organization, they believe that the procedure is necessary especially because in that specific case there was no apology from the MP and the party that Radulović represents in the Assembly.
In the letter sent to Krivokapić by the executive director of the HRA, Tea Gorjanc Prelevic, it is stated that the HRA believes that it would be important for the parliament to react to the actions of MPs that are clearly not in accordance with the Code of Ethics for MPs, threaten freedom of expression and do not support the application of laws that The Assembly adopts.
"MPs should promote human rights standards that bind Montenegro, which are found in laws, the Constitution and international treaties on human rights and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights," the letter states.
Gorjanc Prelevic adds that the European Court, in its practice, pointed out that politicians should show special tolerance towards public criticism.
"This does not mean that MPs are deprived of the possibility to seek judicial protection in the case of defamation and insult, but they certainly should not threaten journalists with violence." The Assembly should especially prevent any promotion of physical confrontation with dissenters, both in the Assembly building and outside it," she said.
HRA, as stated in the letter, is committed to providing journalists with a safe environment for their work.
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