The SafeJournalists Network is deeply disturbed by the brutal physical assault on Montenegrin journalist Ana Raičković and her family. The fact that an active officer from Montenegro’s Ministry of Interior (MMI) was among the attackers is particularly alarming. We urge authorities to immediately prosecute the attackers and impose the strictest penalties – which will clearly convey that no one is above the law.

Businessman Zoran Bećirović, his son Luka, and a member of his security team, Mladen Mijatović—an active MMI officer—brutally assaulted Ana Raičković, an editor at Pobjeda, on Monday evening in Podgorica, as well as members of her family. The attack appears to have stemmed from Raičković’s past work. After initially harassing Raičković verbally, Bećirović and his security members physically attacked her, as well as her son and fiancé, who were attempting to defend her. The family suffered physical injuries, and their car was also damaged in the attack.

Raičković, who was in a fast-food restaurant in the Blok 5 area of Podgorica at the time, reported that after an initial wave of threats, insults, and harassment, she informed the police that she was being openly intimidated by a group of men whom she could not identify with certainty at the time of the attack.

The verbal attacks continued even after her fiancé and son arrived, and soon escalated into physical violence. Although Raičković, her son, and her fiancé managed to reach their car, the attackers pursued and assaulted them there as well.

“Mijatović grabbed me by the throat and demanded, ‘Say the boy’s name [referring to the journalist’s son].’ I refused, and he kept insisting, threatening to find him anyway and, if I didn’t cooperate, to kill me,” Raičković recounted to Pobjeda. She added that while Mijatović was holding her by the neck, Bećirović grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the car door.

After the attack, Raičković immediately reported the incident to the police, and then went to the Emergency Center, where medical staff documented injuries such as bruises on her neck from choking, lacerations on her head, and a swollen arm.

The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) has called on the authorities to expedite the prosecution of Bećirović and all others involved, demanding punishment in accordance with the Criminal Code, which prescribes harsher penalties for attacks on journalists. The TUMM emphasized that Bećirović has a history of hostility toward journalists, making this case especially serious.

Following Raičković’s report to the police, the attackers were detained.

The SafeJournalists Network welcomes the Podgorica Basic State Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to hold all three assailants for up to 72 hours and is encouraged by the announcement that another individual involved will also be questioned. The Network further urges the authorities to ensure that the attackers are prosecuted without delay and given the maximum penalties, sending a clear message that violence against media workers is unacceptable.

The SafeJournalists Network will inform relevant national and international stakeholders.

Every attack on journalists is an attack on the public interest, democracy, and the rights of all citizens.

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

Association BH Journalists

Croatian Journalists’ Association

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro

Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, 12.11.2024

The source: IJAS

Phto by: Canva