Attacks on media workers that remain without an adequate judicial epilogue carry an additional risk of intimidation, the Center for Civic Education (CCE) said.
CCE program associate Nikola Obradović said that the NGO was caught off guard by the verdict of the Higher Misdemeanor Court in Bijelo Polje in the case of attacks on Vijesti photojournalist Boris Pejović, Pobjeda photojournalist Stevo Vasiljević, and Vijesti journalist Balša Rudović, who were reporting on the illegal erection of a monument to war criminal Pavle Đurišić in Gornji Zaostr.
He recalled that the court acquitted all those accused of attacking journalists and photojournalists.
"CCE reminds that attacks on media workers are not incidents without broader significance, but a direct attack on the public's right to be informed and on elementary democratic standards," Obradović said in a statement.
As he said, he is particularly concerned when such attacks occur in the context of heightened tensions and events that generate public attention.
Obradović pointed out that the presence of journalists and photojournalists in such situations is crucial for documenting facts and preventing manipulation.
"Attacks that remain without an adequate judicial epilogue carry an additional risk of intimidation. This effectively imposes limits on media workers as to what can and cannot be recorded and published, beyond the criteria of public interest, which inevitably has a demotivating effect on their work," Obradović said.
He said that when society does not receive a clear message that an attack on a journalist is unacceptable and punishable, the feeling of insecurity in the profession increases, and the risk of self-censorship also increases.
"This is especially dangerous in smaller media communities, where the consequences of pressure are felt more quickly and deeply. In the long run, such practices reduce the willingness to report on sensitive topics, weaken investigative journalism, and deprive the public of verified information," the statement said.
It is stated that the media in Montenegro already operate in a complex and demanding environment, burdened by security risks, political and economic pressures, as well as the structural vulnerability of the profession.
"In such an environment, every case of violence against media workers, and especially institutional outcomes that may be perceived as insufficiently deterrent, only worsens the overall climate and sends a bad message to both the media community and the public," Obradović added.
As he stated, the European Union, in its institutions' reports on Montenegro, continuously emphasizes the need for consistent application of standards in the area of freedom of expression, with the safety of journalists remaining one of the key indicators of real progress in the rule of law.
"Otherwise, conditions are created in which violence becomes an accepted pressure tactic, and professional reporting is treated as a provocation, instead of as the pursuit of public interest," Obradović pointed out.
CCE called on the competent institutions to affirm a policy of zero tolerance towards violence against the media through additional strengthening of the system of protection of media workers, more efficient and timely handling of reports, improvement of risk assessment and consistent application of standards that guarantee safe work of the media.
"CCE will continue to monitor cases of attacks and pressure on media workers, as well as institutional action in these cases, insisting that the safe and dignified work of the media be recognized and treated as a priority of public interest," the statement said.
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