Drew Sullivan, OCCRP
Legislation proposed by Montenegro’s government would impose extreme restrictions on freedom of information, which would only benefit organised criminals at the expense of its citizens, OCCRP said.
If adopted, a proposed amendment to the Law on Secrecy of Data would be a huge step backwards for democratisation in a country that has been ruled by one man, President Milo Dukanovic, for three decades. The amendments would also undermine Montenegro’s accession to the European Union, which requires authorities to crack down on the crime and corruption.
The Ministry of Defense has drafted an amendment to the Law on Secrecy of Data, which would allow any information to be withheld if it is deemed necessary for government institutions to “perform their activities”. While OCCRP recognizes the need for secrecy in military and other matters, this amendment is far too broad and will be used to hide information that is clearly in the public interest.
“Montenegro has an unfortunate reputation around the world as a country run by corrupt politicians and organised criminals,” said Drew Sullivan, OCCRP editor and co-founder. “Reporting by OCCRP and its member centre, MANS, has exposed hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds being siphoned off by the ruling family. This legislation would make it even harder to expose those crimes and allow criminals to continue stealing from their country.”
The proposed amendment could be used to hide information citizens have a right to know about and journalists have a duty to report, such as details of the national budget or public expenditures. OCCRP encourages authorities to scrap the proposed draconian legislation and instead to move forward in providing the level of transparency that citizens of any democracy should rightly expect.
OCCRP
