Bjeković: No one tried to influence me, I perceived Abazović's reaction as a political statement

The Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms (Ombudsman) Siniša Bjeković announced today that no one tried to influence him.

Bjeković reacted to yesterday's statement by the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, who, in response to a journalist's question about Bjeković urging him to respect the presumption of innocence, said that he thinks Bjeković is working under pressure.

"First of all, I would like to remind you of our position that we do not subsequently comment on the given opinions and the details of the proceedings, for the reason that they contain all the arguments related to the specific act. However, it is important to point out that the public did not have the opportunity to become familiar with the entire content of the opinions that was the reason for the Prime Minister's reaction, because before it was published on our website, the representative of the party in the proceedings only partially made it public. For anyone who wants to be informed about it, the act of the Protector is available link", said Bjeković in a statement published on the website of the Ombudsman.

Bjeković added that yesterday's reaction of the prime minister (assuming that it was transmitted authentically) did not contain a critical review of the legal argumentation, based on international standards and practice, but he perceived it as a political statement and on the assumption that he had no insight into the act that was delivered to him more than a month ago.

"A political figure can have that privilege and express political views on any issue, including the work of the Protector. The Protector does not have that privilege, firstly - because he cannot engage in politics, and secondly because he gives his opinion in an institutionally, constitutionally and legally regulated manner . However, the seriousness of the accusation that we work under pressure, that is, that impartiality and independence in decision-making are called into question, requires a decisive and serious denial. If it were not for many years of acquaintance and mutual respect, I would have thought that this was also a kind of pressure. But I know that it is not ", said Bjekovic.

He said that he is assuring the public that there is no need to worry in that regard: nothing has changed between the time before and after the adoption of the recommendation in the character and professional structure of the Protector, as the reports and evaluations of relevant domestic and international addresses fairly uniformly admit to us.

"Even the prime minister himself, if we take into account the entire statement. All ombudsman institutions in the world are exposed to the pressure mentioned, because they are at the boundary between the legitimate expectation of citizens to protect their rights and public authorities when they do not understand or will not understand the role What is more important, and what was left unfinished in the Prime Minister's statement: no one even tried to influence the ombudsman. And they won't because the result is known in advance to anyone who even knows the character and ethics of this protector. In this regard, for average citizen insufficiently informed about the competence of the Protector, we are obliged to react to the insinuation or dilemma about "protecting members of organized criminal groups". The answer is very simple: we are competent to protect the human rights of every citizen who turns to us, when they have acquired the necessary legal requirements This fact is understood by the vast majority or almost all citizens in Montenegro, including all those the prime minister has listed - if and when they feel that their rights have been violated. And it is not a matter of anyone's choice and personal relationship, but of very clearly defined professional obligations and standards. And the standards before this institution, the judiciary in Montenegro, Europe, and especially before the European Court of Human Rights are clear, which you can read in detail in the opinion of the Protector, which we submitted to the public in (as far as possible) anonymized form," he said. Bjekovic.

According to him, there is something else that the Prime Minister must have known, if he had read any Report on the work of the Protector: the number of persons who are suspected, accused or accused of the crimes he is talking about, and who turned to the ombudsman for the protection of their rights, is certain. much bigger than the one that intrigued the prime minister, and he the public.

"On average, at least fifty persons from this category turn to the ombudsman for protection every year. Some of them succeeded here (at the ombudsman) and/or in the proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights, so no one, not even the prime minister, thought that think that the European Court may be protecting crime and other types of illegal actions. This is where this backlash begins and ends. The ombudsman does not protect crime or persons associated with crime, but the human rights of all citizens equally regardless of personal characteristics. Liked it In the end, when it comes to the fight against organized and all other forms of crime, the prime minister and the competent institutions have our full support, but not for the achievement of any political and (s)personal goals, but for the protection of the rule of law, and primarily because of the victims of serious crimes. Also because of the axiom that says that there is no rule of law and human rights where the criminal environment and lawlessness are stronger than the state. And in order to achieve the goal, any means cannot be justified. Unless, along the way, we forgot about human rights in the name of some higher goals for which we have not yet received confirmation that they can be, neither according to international nor according to national law. But definitely more about that in the opinion, which is not compromised by anything," said Bjeković.