A delegation of media freedom organisations has called on the new government of Montenegro to both prioritise and uphold media freedom in the country.
Following 31 years of rule under Milo Dukanovic, the EFJ, ECPMF, SEEMO, and MFRR urged the new coalition government under Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic to put press and media freedom high on its agenda to both advance media freedom and the country’s EU accession bid.
While conducting a virtual fact-finding mission in September 2020, they found a number of concerning issues that showed “decisive action is needed to establish a free and pluralist media landscape”.
“Our mission found a heavily polarised media landscape in the country, and it will take sustained and concerted efforts by Prime Minister Krivokapić and his government to improve protections for media freedom and the rule of law. They must, therefore, in their political agenda, devote particular attention to addressing the myriad problems faced by journalists and media workers in Montenegro,” said Nik Williams, MFRR co-ordinator at European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).
Considerable work is to be done in order to dismantle the entrenched polarisation that has defined Montenegrin politics, society and media for too long and ensure a free and fair playing field for every media outlet and actor to work safely.
Noting there is “no quick fix”, they made a number of suggestions and recommendations:
- Ending impunity for crimes against journalists and media workers by ensuring police and prosecutors investigate all attacks and threats and bring perpetrators and the masterminds behind them to justice;
- Establishing shared standards and principles for the regulation of the media market that encourages a fair playing field;
- Continuing the reform of the public broadcaster;
- Reforming journalistic source protection and, generally, ensuring that all new or amended media laws are drafted in line with international standards and best practices on media freedom and pluralism.
They added that to advance media freedom and the country’s EU accession bid, the new administration must commit to the necessary reforms for building and maintaining a free and pluralist media landscape. These must conform with European standards and include support for public interest reporting, transparent funding, shared regulatory standards, and a safe working environment free from attacks and threats, embedded in a broader system that respects the rule of law, in theory, and in practice.
Earlier this year, the Montenegro courts found investigative journalist Jovo Martinovic guilty of drug trafficking and association with criminal gangs. Martinovic was in fact investigating these things at the time of his arrest. He spent 15 months in pre-trial detention and was then sentenced to 18 months in prison, which he appealed. The High Court then found him guilty again in a retrial and sentenced him to a year in prison, time served. The proceedings were condemned by media freedom organizations who said the decisions were politically motivated.
