(Podgorica, 8 March 2012) – MANS sharply condemns the attack on Vijesti journalist Olivera Lakić and calls on the Prosecutor’s Office and the police to immediately identify who ordered the attack, its perpetrator and establish the motives for which yet another independent media reporter has become a target in Montenegro.
Given that we’re dealing with a journalist who had already been threatened in the past for her attempts to investigate cigarette smuggling in Montenegro and its links to senior state officials, MANS suspects that this attack will also remain unresolved (since in order to resolve this crime the state would have to be serious about dismantling the entire network of organized crime that is present in Montenegro).
There is of course no readiness on the part of the government, prosecutors, the police or the ANB (National Security Agency) for such measures. If there was a readiness to do so they would no longer engage in shallow investigations into killings and attacks on journalists and independent media writing about corruption and organized crime.
The end of May will mark eight years since state institutions have failed to resolve the case of Duško Jovanović, the editor of the DAN daily who was murdered in 2004. Those who ordered his murder and the motives behind it have never been uncovered.
Let us not forget also the shameful judicial process that followed the beating of Željko Ivanović, the editor of the daily Vijesti. So far only one scapegoat has been found allowing the government to clean its hands of its failure to truly pursue this matter while attempting to deflect attention away from it.
The same occurred with another Vijesti editor Mihailo Jovović who was turned by the police and judiciary from a victim into the aggressor and was falsely accused of assault while the real aggressor was freed of any responsibility.
Volunteer scapegoats were also found when Olivera Lakić first received threats a year ago, after she began investigating organized cigarette smuggling (an old practice now being carried out in new ways).
As a result of investigations into smuggling activities in Berane Tufik Softić, a local radio reporter and correspondent for Vijesti and Monitor was severely beaten by two masked attackers at the doorstep of his house. This attack has yet to be resolved.
In fact, the same model was repeated last night in front of Olivera Lakić’s home. However, in this case it seems like the criminals were more emboldened since they are no longer even trying to hide their faces because they know the judiciary is unlikely to do anything to them.
Similarly the attack on Vijesti sports journalist Mladen Stojović has yet to be resolved, after he was brutally beaten for writing about the sports mafia in Montenegro.
One of the more recent incidents was also the beating of DAN’s sports journalist Veselin Drljević, whose case has yet to be resolved. The burning of Vijesti news vehicles as well sends a message of fear to anyone who dares write critically.
If it is true that the Government supports the fight against organized crime, and seeks to promote the development of investigative journalism in Montenegro, why is it that all of these cases remain unresolved or covered-up?
Is it because of the fact that if investigative journalism was truly valued and if journalists were actually allowed to access information pertaining to the decisions of state institutions they would perhaps discover a pyramid of organized crime that has captured both the state and the judiciary?
Thus, while the intimidation of journalists is being tolerated by senior officials, even perhaps offering protection to the perpetrators of such acts, there is unlikely to be much progress in Montenegro in the fight against organized crime and towards European integration.
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