We call on the Minister of Interior, Rasko Konjevic, to immediately suspend the director of the Police and to disband the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ) until completion of the investigation and determination of individual and command responsibility for the brutal violence, as well as covering up the perpetrators of serious crimes, in order to protect the safety of all citizens of Montenegro.
The extent and severity of the terror that was carried out against citizens by the SAJ unambiguously confirms that we are not talking about individual cases or incidents within this unit. Namely, in the beating and abusing of citizens and their property was involved and a large number of members of the SAJ, and four days later, their commander and all of their colleagues remain silent and continue to protect the perpetrators of the crimes. This shows that the problem is not the individual but that is in the public interest complete special unit, headed by the commander, to be immediately suspended and become subject of investigation of the prosecution, both because of the offenses, and their concealment.
We also expect that the director of the Police in an emergency procedure to be relieved of his duties in order to unable him to continue to take part in covering up the crimes. Instead that he personally requested own responsibility and the same day ensure the arrest of police officers who have violated basic human rights, the Police director has not shown the slightest responsibility, remorse, or any human sympathy with the victims of his subordinates. As an evidence of his despicable behavior is his behavior on the Committee on Security, as well as the fact that to this date date not a single police officer has been arrested for terrorizing citizens.
For all these reasons we believe that any further stay of Slavko Stojanovic as the Police leader and the continuation of the SAJ in such composition, without a clear identification of individual and command responsibility, represent a threat to the safety, health and property of the citizens of Montenegro.
Vanja Calovic
