The Women's Rights Center expressed serious concern over, as they said, increasingly pronounced attempts to politicize the case of harassment and mobbing, which was pointed out by several women who collaborated with Mersudin Gredić at different times.
"We consider it extremely irresponsible and will not allow the attention of the public and institutions to be diverted from the essence of the problem - serious allegations of workplace harassment."
"Violence against women, including psychological violence and mobbing, knows neither national nor party borders. It must not be subject to manipulation, relativization or protection of individual power," the non-governmental organization (NGO) said.
DON'T MISS IT
Testimonies from women who contacted the Women's Rights Center show that in different collectives they were exposed to the same patterns of behavior that they accuse Gredić of, the Women's Rights Center added in a statement.
"Their testimonies are consistent and indicate the constant use of verbal violence, gender discrimination, derogatory and humiliating speech, shouting, banging the table with his fist, threats of dismissal, engaging in 'assessments' of the expertise of employees whose field of work was not within his domain of knowledge, and the like.
They also state that Gredić is characterized by continuous slander and discrediting of employees, especially those who have opposed his authority in defending their professionalism, as well as manipulation and instilling fear by referring to his previous experience in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. They particularly emphasize his tendency to intimidate professional women in senior positions, to openly question victims about 'who they complained to'; to convene meetings with the aim of targeting dissenters, at which he creates an atmosphere of fear and discomfort among employees, dedicating them to criticizing only one person without basis, arguments or reason. They also mention keeping records of employees, demanding statements from them even though they were not responsible for any omission; threats of a disciplinary committee, and at the same time financial incentives, business trips, and unjustified promotions of like-minded people 'without competition, criteria or logic'. They also state that he showed particular cruelty towards women whose children were seriously health-threatening, which is why his management of the company is described as 'psychological torture for all those who did not please him'", the NGO states.
In all of this, the allegations about Gredić's open boasting of political influence are particularly concerning, say the Center for Women's Rights, which is why they demand that the attention of the competent institutions, including the Government of Montenegro and the presidency of the party of which Gredić is a member, be directed to verifying specific facts and testimonies that indicate a systemic pattern of harassment, as well as other types of abuse.
"We expect an immediate reaction and a detailed investigation by the competent authorities, including the prosecutor's office, which must determine whether there are elements of criminal offenses that are prosecuted ex officio in this case."
We call on all political actors and institutions to refrain from relativizing and instrumentalizing violence against women, as this sends a message of impunity and discourages victims from speaking out.
"This case must be a turning point in the way institutions deal with harassment and abuse of power in the workplace. We remind you that anyone can become a victim of mobbing - even those who today try to justify or cover up harassment," the statement concludes.
Bonus video:
