EU Delegation: Authorities should not engage in harsh polemics against civil society and the media

The European Union Delegation to Montenegro expects the authorities to protect media freedom and enable the constructive involvement of civil society organizations in policymaking instead of engaging in harsh public criticism and accusations against civil society representatives and the media.

This was the response to "Vijesti" after several days of sharp controversy between officials of Democratic Montenegro, who in numerous statements made inappropriate accusations against lawyer Veselin Radulović and civic activist and executive director of HRA Teu Gorjanc Prelević.

The Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro emphasized that for the EU, "civil society and free media represent key elements of a democratic system, and that state institutions should recognize and treat them as such."

HRA Executive Director Tea Gorjanc Prelević announced on Monday that the goal of the several-day attacks is clear: "To discredit us all and to scare us for the children. Because what's next and who should I ask for a security assessment from? From the Democrats, who are openly and shamelessly attacking me," Gorjanc Prelević wrote.

She emphasized that she "didn't experience what she has been suffering for days from Democratic Montenegro officials even during the DPS era."

The public controversy between the Democrats and Gorjanc Prelević began after she reacted when they released a statement attacking lawyer Veselin Radulović, whom they accused of working for the mafia, and after he publicly disputed the manner and motives behind the vetting process at the Police Directorate for months.

Gorjanc Prelević announced that the party "is using threats and blatant disqualifications to try to prevent lawyer Radulović, and all others to whom threatening messages are being sent, from processing their mass dismissals and suspensions in the police and army"...

This was the reason why the Democrats responded to Gorjanc Prelević on several occasions, claiming that she was "giving the lawyer a political and media shield", that she was "using him as cannon fodder", emphasizing that they would not be able to stop the vetting in the police.

The party accused Gorjanc Prelević of "opposing vetting in the police and security services", "scheming", "sharing a political and interest agenda with former DPS president Milo Đukanović", "misleading the public", but also of being "ready for dirty work...

Due to the series of statements, which mostly arrive unsigned from the address of Democratic Montenegro, a group of 29 civil society organizations and activists reacted, condemning the attack on the personality and integrity of the director of the Human Rights Action, Tea Gorjanc Prelević, because of, as they stated, her clear, principled and well-argued position that insists on the law and international standards, including the right to criticize the government.

They said that in a democratic society, differing opinions are not only permitted, but also desirable, and that it is worrying when the government begins to equate the party with the institution and the state, because this stifles any space for a critical stance.