19/9/2016 S velikom tugom smo primili vijest o gubitku naše drage koleginice KSENIJE BRKOVIĆ

Ksenija je bila oličenje entuzijazma, nesebičnosti i pristojnosti.

Čuvaćemo s ljubavlju sjećanje na nju i vrijeme koje smo proveli zajedno.

Tea, Mirjana, Marija, Marijana i Danilo

16/9/2016 THE REPORT „THREATS AND ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALIST OF THE DAILY VIJESTI OLIVERA LAKIĆ“

Towards a new edition of the report „Prosecution of attacks on journalists in Montenegro“, the NGO Human Rights Action (HRA) published the chapter „Threats and attacks against journalist of the daily Vijesti Olivera Lakić“, whose summary is available here.

An excerpt from the summary reads: ”In conclusion, the courts have failed to see all these procedures in the context that deserved to be taken into consideration with utmost concern – that the journalist Olivera Lakić had been the victim of continuous threats and even physical assault with the intention of intimidating and discouraging her to continue her research into the illegal production and smuggling of cigarettes in Montenegro – a business that former and current public officials at the Police Directorate and NSA are most likely linked to, according to unconvincing response of all competent state authorities for the case of assault on the journalist. For threats and attack on journalist Lakić only two persons, who are not influential and against whom the evidence was fairly apparent, received light sentences, while it has been ensured that the investigation does not reach the organizer of the attack.”

Previously, on the occasion of commemoration of the 12^th anniversary of the unsolved murder of director and chief editor of the newspaper Dan Duško Jovanović, HRA published the report “Unsolved murder of Duško Jovanović – questions without answers”.

The aim of the report is to encourage a comprehensive review of previous investigations of these cases, for which we consider that it necessary.

In the coming report on prosecution of attacks on journalists in Montenegro, HRA will provide to the public a comprehensive review of the prosecution of attacks on journalists and conclusions on whether the country is ready and to what extent to punish responsible for these attacks.

The Open Society Foundations’ institutional support grant to HRA provided for production of all mentioned reports.

We hope that this effort will assist efficient operation of the newly formed state bodies to review investigation of attacks against journalists: the Commission for Monitoring Actions of Competent Authorities in Investigation of Cases of Threats and Violence Against Journalists, Murders of Journalists and Attacks on Media Property in which NGOs have a representative, lawyer Dalibor Tomović, as well as the Parliamentary Committee on Monitoring the Investigation of Cases of Endangering Security of Journalists and Media Outlets, which members are MPs.

15/9/2016 IZVJEŠTAJ ”PRIJETNJE I NAPAD NA NOVINARKU VIJESTI OLIVERU LAKIĆ”

U susret novom izdanju izvještaja „Procesuiranje napada na novinare u Crnoj Gori“, NVO Akcija za ljudska prava (HRA) objavljuje poglavlje „Prijetnje i napad na novinarku Vijesti Oliveru Lakić“, koje je dostupno ovdje.

Prethodno, povodom obilježavanja 12 godina od nerasvijetljenog ubistva direktora i glavnog urednika dnevnog lista Dan, objavili smo i poglavlje “Nerasvijetljeno ubistvo Duška Jovanovića – pitanja bez odgovora”.

Cilj izvještaja je da podstakne temeljno preispitivanje dosadašnjih istraga ovih slučajeva, koje smatramo neophodnim.

U izvještaju o procesuiranju napada na novinare HRA će ponuditi javnosti sveobuhvatni pregled procesuiranja napada na novinare i zaključke o tome da li je država spremna i u kojoj mjeri da kazni odgovorne za te napade.

Nadamo se da ćemo ovim naporima pomoći učinkovit rad Vladine Komisije za praćenje postupanja nadležnih organa u istragama slučajeva prijetnji i nasilja nad novinarima u kojoj NVO imaju predstavnika, advokata Dalibora Tomovića, kao i skupštinskog Odbora za nadzor nad istragama slučajeva ugrožavanja bezbjednosti novinara i medijskih kuća koga čine poslanici.

12/9/2016 THE INSPECTOR TOLERATES MULTIPLE BREACHES OF LAW BY THE AGENCY FOR PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION AND FREE ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Acting upon the complaint filed by HRA against the Agency for Personal Data Protection and Free Access to Information for several times exceeding the legal deadline to decide upon the complaint for denying the right to free access to information, the administrative inspector discontinued the proceedings and accepted the insufficient number of ‘’executive civil servants’’ processing complaints in the Agency as acceptable justification for the breach of law. HRA finds that such decision made by inspector is illegal and detrimental for the establishment of the rule of law, and required from the competent Ministry of Interior Affairs to reassess the decision.

HRA notified the Inspection authority that the Agency breached the Article 48 of the Law on Free Access to Information, according to which the Agency is to be fined from 200 to 2000 EUR, if they violate the 15-day deadline to act upon the complaints. On the day when the misdemeanor complaint was filed to the Inspection authority, the Agency had not processed the complaints by HRA for already three and a half months. The inspector commenced the inspection control proceedings but later on discontinued them, accepting the justification by the President of the Agency Council that ’’the execution of the decisions made by the Agency Council is in jurisdiction of the two executive civil servants, which is insufficient for the undertaking of administrative actions and all other activities in cases of both deciding and acting in the proceedings’’.

By mere acceptance of this justification without critical assessment, the inspector sent a clear message to the Agency and other state authorities that they can easily continue breaching the law under the claim of an insufficient number of ’’executive civil servants’’, despite the fact that the lack of staff is not an excuse for disrespect of legal deadlines, especially when such delay is legally defined as small offense (misdemeanor).

The Law of Inspection Control obliges the inspector to not only issue a fine for exceeding the deadline, but to order the Agency to take the necessary measures within the deadline that set by the inspector, neither of which was undertaken by the inspector in this case. Also, the same law explicitly states that an inspector is authorized to discontinue the proceedings only if she finds that the controlled entity has completely removed the irregularities indicated by the inspector within the deadline set, which has not happened in this case.

It remains unclear why did the inspector accept the explanation provided by the President of the Agency Council about the lack of executive civil servants, considering that the Agency’s Council is working in its full composition (3), that it organizes its work and that the Agency’s Director could have increased the number of the executive civil servants in these positions, until the number of the employees is also eventually increased in accordance with the need.

The HRA case study of free access to information – i.e. decisions requested from the courts in Podgorica, you may find here in Montenegrin language.

In summary, HRA manged to receive requested information i.e. decisions of the Higher court in Podgorica only 8 months (250 days) since the day of request, whereas not even 9 months (272 days) since the day of request, did the requested decisions from the Court of first instance arrive. The same type of decisions the other courts in Montenegro have made available for the general public and published on their websites.

The access to decisions happened only after the Agency decided upon the complaints against the courts 7 months following the date it received the complaints, which means that the Agency 13 times breached the 15-day legal deadline for its deciding upon complaints. According to HRA’s information, the Agency is continuously breaching the law in other cases concerning free access to information, and HRA was the first one to report the Agency for the breach of law in terms of small offense. Unfortunately, the reaction of the inspection authority has not corrected the wrongdoings but encouraged the systematic law violation in cases where the state authorities can use as an excuse the insufficient number of executive civil servants.

HRA is convinced that such approach of the inspection authority should not become general practice at the expense of the rule of law in Montenegro, and we are expecting the Ministry of Interior affairs to review the case and secure different approach of the Inspection authority.

The letter regarding this matter, which was sent to the Minister of Interior Affairs, Goran Danilović, the General Director of the Directorate for State Administration, Dragana Ranitović, and the Chief Administrative Inspector, Dragica Anđelić, on the 9^th of September 2016, you may find here in Montenegrin language.

12/9/2016 INSPEKCIJA TOLERIŠE AGENCIJI ZA ZAŠTITU LIČNIH PODATAKA I SLOBODAN PRISTUP INFORMACIJAMA VIŠESTRUKO KRŠENJE ZAKONA

Postupajući po prekršajnoj prijavi HRA protiv Agencije za zaštitu ličnih podataka i slobodan pristup informacijama zbog višestrukog prekoračenja zakonskog roka za odlučivanje po žalbi zbog uskraćivanja pristupa informacijama, upravna inspektorka je obustavila postupak i prihvatila da je nedovoljan broj ”izvršilaca” za rad na žalbama u Agenciji dovoljno opravdanje za kršenje zakona. HRA smatra da je odluka inspektorke nezakonita i pogubna za uspostavljanje vladavine prava, pa je od nadležnih u Ministarstvu unutrašnjih poslova zatražila da je preispitaju.

HRA je Agenciju prijavila inspekciji zbog prekršaja iz čl. 48 Zakona o slobodnom pristupu informacijama, po kojem će se Agencija kazniti kaznom od 200 do 2.000 eura ako prekorači rok od 15 dana za rješavanje po žalbama. Na dan podnošenja prijave, Agencija po žalbama HRA nije odlučila tri i po mjeseca. Inspektorka je pokrenula postupak inspekcijskog pregleda, a zatim ga obustavila prihvativši navode predsjednika Savjeta Agencije da zakon krše jer je ”sprovođenje odluka Savjeta Agencije u nadležnosti 2 izvršioca što je nedovoljno za preduzimanje upravnih radnji i svih aktivnosti u predmetima kako za odlučivanje tako i za postupanje u predmetima.“

Prihvativši nekritički navedeno opravdanje, inspektorka je poslala jasnu poruku i Agenciji i drugim državnim organima da mogu slobodno da nastave da krše zakon ako to opravdaju nedovoljnim brojem ”izvršilaca”, iako ni nedostatak zaposlenih nije izvinjavajuća okolnost za prekoračenje zakonskih rokova, posebno kada je to prekoračenje i propisano kao prekršaj.

Inspektorka je, prema Zakonu o inspekcijskom nadzoru, bila obavezna ne samo da izrekne kaznu zbog kašnjenja, već i da naredi Agenciji da preduzme odgovarajuće mjere i radnje u roku koji joj odredi, što, takođe, nije učinila. Takođe, isti Zakon propisuje da je inspektor ovlašćen da obustavi postupak samo ako utvrdi da je subjekat nadzora u ostavljenom roku potpuno otklonio nepravilnosti na koje mu je inspektor ukazao, što se u ovom slučaju nije desilo.

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8/9/2016 STONING OF TV PINK M BUILDING NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED

Human Rights Action (HRA) condemns stoning of TV Pink M building, which happened on 7^th of September 2016, and was recorded on camera.

HRA reminds that this is third stoning of building of this television. Previous two were not punished, nor were the perpetrators identified. During the first stoning, which happened in October last year, journalist Ivana Drobnjak was injured. HRA notes that this is the fifth case of stoning of a media building in Montenegro since 2013.

Use of violence is neither legal nor acceptable way of expressing protest over media reporting. HRA urges the police and State Prosecutor’s Office to, in accordance with their duties, carry out an effective investigation and ensure punishment of all attacks. HRA reiterates the need to declare attacks on journalists and media property criminal offenses invoking stricter punishment.

8/9/2016 KAZNITI KAMENOVANJE TV PINK M

NVO Akcija za ljudska prava osuđuje kamenovanje zgrade TV Pink M, koje se dogodilo sinoć, 7. 9. 2016, i koje su zabilježile kamere.

Podsjećamo da je ovo treće kamenovanje zgrade ove televizije. Prethodna dva nisu kažnjena, niti su identifikovani počinioci. Prilikom prvog kamenovanja koje se dogodilo u oktobru prošle godine, povrijeđena je novinarka ove televizije Ivana Drobnjak. HRA bilježi da je ovo peti slučaj kamenovanja redakcije nekog medija u Crnoj Gori od 2013. godine.

Primjena nasilja nije ni zakonit ni prihvatljiv način izražavanja protesta zbog neslaganja sa izvještavanjem medija. HRA apeluje na policiju i državno tužilaštvo da u skladu sa svojim dužnostima sprovedu efikasnu istragu i obezbijede kažnjavanje svih napada, i ponovo ističe potrebu da se napadi na novinare i imovinu medija proglase krivičnim djelima koja se strožije kažnjavaju.

1/9/2016 TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: URGENTLY AND PERMANENTLY PROVIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS TEACHING ASSISTANTS

NGO Human Rights Action (HRA) urges the Ministry of Education to immediately and permanently provide teaching assistants to children with special needs in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Art. 24), which guarantees the right to free inclusive education.

Children with special needs have the right to education under the principle of equal opportunities and without discrimination. This means that they are entitled to support within the education system also in terms of a personal assistant. Although personal assistants have been present in regular classes in Montenegrin schools for several years already, providing excellent results, their continued work has unfortunately not been ensured to date. According to HRA information, assistants now working in schools do not have employment contracts and were recommended to work as volunteers.

It is very alarming that today, at the beginning of the school year, children with special needs did not have the conditions to go to school and attend classes like other children, because teaching assistants were not provided for them. Such situation could have caused unnecessary stress and humiliation to both the children and their parents, quite contrary to the obligation of the state to provide through inclusive education “the full development of human potential and sense of dignity and self-worth,” as required by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has recently (26 August 2016) published General Comment on the right to inclusive education under the Convention, which specifies that the state must recognise that individual support is a priority matter and should be free of charge at all compulsory levels of education (§ 17). Also, the Comment states that placing students with disabilities within mainstream classes without accompanying structural changes to teaching and learning strategies does not constitute inclusion (§ 11).

The Committee further stated that education ministries must ensure that all resources are invested toward advancing inclusive education, and toward introducing and embedding the necessary changes in institutional culture, policies and practices (§ 12).

HRA urges the Ministry of Education to immediately find a way to provide the support of teaching assistants free of charge to all children in need of it in accordance with their human and children’s right to receive education together with their friends.

1/9/2016 MINISTARSTVU PROSVJETE: HITNO I TRAJNO OBEZBIJEDITE ASISTENTE U NASTAVI DJECI SA POSEBNIM POTREBAMA

NVO Akcija za ljudska prava (HRA) apeluje na Ministarstvo prosvjete da hitno i trajno obezbijedi asistente u nastavi djeci sa posebnim potrebama u skladu sa Konvencijom o pravima osoba sa invaliditetom (čl. 24), koja garantuje pravo na besplatno inkluzivno obrazovanje.

Djeca sa posebnim potrebama imaju pravo na obrazovanje po principu jednakih šansi i bez diskriminacije. To znači da imaju pravo na podršku u okviru obrazovnog sistema i u vidu ličnog asistenta. Iako lični asistenti u redovnoj nastavi u školama u Crnoj Gori postoje već više godina, s odličnim rezultatima, njihov kontinuirani rad nažalost do danas nije obezbijeđen. Prema informacijama HRA, asistenti koji su danas radili u školama nemaju zaključene ugovore i preporučeno im je da rade volonterski.

Izuzetno zabrinjava činjenica da danas, na početku školske godine, djeca s posebnim potrebama nisu imala uslova da krenu u školu i prate nastavu kao i sva druga, jer im neophodni asistenti s izvjesnošću nisu bili obezbijeđeni. Ovakva situacija je i kod njih i njihovih roditelja mogla da dovede do nepotrebnog stresa i poniženja, sasvim suprotno obavezi države da kroz inkluzivno obrazovanje obezbijedi “pun razvoj ljudskih potencijala i osećanja dostojanstva i samovrednosti”, kako nalaže Konvencija o pravima osoba s invaliditetom.

Komitet za prava osoba sa invaliditetom je nedavno (26.8.2016) objavio Opšti komentar prava na inkluzivno obrazovanje iz Konvencije, u kome je navedeno da država mora da prihvati da je pojedinačna podrška prioritet i da mora da bude besplatna na svim nivoima obaveznog obrazovanja (tač. 17). Takođe, u Komentaru se navodi da uvođenje đaka s invaliditetom u redovnu nastavu bez neophodnih strukturnih prilagođavanja u nastavi znači da nema inkluzije (tač. 11).

Komitet je poručio ministarstvima prosvjete da moraju da obezbijede da se svi resursi investiraju u unapređenje inkluzivnog obrazovanja, i za neophodne promjene u institucionalnoj kulturi, politici i praksi (tačka 12).

HRA apeluje na Ministarstvo prosvjete da odmah nađe način da obezbijedi besplatnu podršku asistenata u nastavi svoj djeci kojima je ona potrebna u skladu s njihovim ljudskim i dječjim pravom na zajedničko obrazovanje sa svojim drugarima.

30/8/2016 ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE VICTIMS OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES: MONTENEGRO SHOULD INVEST MORE EFFORT TO FIND REMAINS OF VICTIMS OF WAR CRIMES, DETERMINE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE CRIMES AND IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UN COMMITTEE ON ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, Human Rights Action (HRA) reminds that the remains of many victims of war crimes – Deportation of Muslim refugees, abductions in Štrpci and killings in Kaluđerski laz – have still not been found. Bodies of at least ten refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were illegally arrested in May 1992 in Herceg-Novi and handed over to Republika Srpska armed forces, as well as 14 victims of abduction from a train at Štrpci station and a victim of a crime in Kaluđerski laz, have still not been found. It is unknown whether Montenegrin authorities actively helped in any way to locate the remains of these people. Incomplete and unprofessional prosecution of these crimes in Montenegro led to the conviction of only one person, for the crime committed in Štrpci.

HRA also calls attention to the concluding observations of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances on the first report of Montenegro on the implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which were adopted in September 2015, and urges that they be implemented.

The Committee expressed concern “about information from several sources pointing to shortcomings in the proceedings leading to the acquittal of most of the defendants in the (war crimes) cases tried more recently, which may raise questions about the adequacy of measures taken by the State party to fight impunity.” The Committee especially pointed to the absence of investigation into the matter of command responsibility, co-perpetration, aiding and abetting, which led to the impunity of persons at higher levels of the command structure. It was recommended that Montenegro thoroughly and impartially investigate all cases of forced disappearances carried out by civil servants or persons under their control in the context of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, without further delay, and that those found to be responsible, including the highest representatives of the military and civilian authorities, be punished in accordance with the gravity of the crime. The Committee urged Montenegro to actively cooperate with the countries in the region to locate missing persons and search for those responsible for war crimes, as well as to ensure that the Special State Prosecutor’s Office be trained and equipped to investigate and prosecute war crimes.

The Committee urged Montenegro to ensure reparations for all victims of war crimes and introduce appropriate amendments to the law to bring it into line with the Convention. These amendments include prescribing enforced disappearance as a separate criminal offense with appropriate punishment, defining a victim and victim’s rights, including that the missing person does not have to be declared dead in order for his/her relatives to exercise property rights and other family relations rights, etc. Montenegro needs to inform the Committee by 18 September 2016 on the actions taken to implement these recommendations.

Concluding observations of the Committee are available at: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CED/Shared%20Documents/MNE/CED_C_MNE_CO_1_21699_E.pdf

30/8/2016 HRA POVODOM MEĐUNARODNOG DANA ŽRTAVA PRINUDNIH NESTANAKA: URADITI VIŠE DA SE PRONAĐU POSMRTNI OSTACI ŽRTAVA ZLOČINA PROCESUIRANIH U CRNOJ GORI, DA SE UTVRDI ODGOVORNOST ZA TE ZLOČINE I PRIMJENE PREPORUKE KOMITETA UJEDINJENIH NACIJA ZA PRINUDNE NESTANKE

Povodom Međunarodnog dana žrtava prinudnih nestanaka Akcija za ljudska prava (HRA) podsjeća da posmrtni ostaci mnogih žrtava ratnih zločina Deportacija muslimanskih izbjeglica, otmice u Štrpcima i ubistava u Kaluđerskom lazu ni do danas nisu pronađeni. Još uvijek nisu pronađena tijela najmanje desetorice izbjeglica koji su u maju 1992. nezakonito uhapšeni u Herceg-Novom i izručeni pripadnicima oružanih snaga Republike Srpske, kao ni 14 žrtava otmice iz voza u stanici Štrpci i jedne žrtve zločina u Kaluđerskom lazu. Nije poznato da je zvanična Crna Gora aktivno pomogla pronalaženje posmrtnih ostataka ovih ljudi. Navedeni zločini su i nepotpuno i nestručno procesuirani u Crnoj Gori, što je dovelo do toga da samo jedna osoba bude osuđena, i to za zločin u Štrpcima.

HRA podsjeća i na zaključke Komiteta UN za prinudne nestanke o prvom izvještaju Crne Gore o primjeni Međunarodne konvencije za zaštitu svih osoba od prinudnih nestanaka, koji su usvojeni u međuvremenu i apeluje da se oni primjene.

Komitet je u zaključnim razmatranjima u septembru 2015. godine izrazio zabrinutost “zbog informacija iz više izvora koje ukazuju na propuste u procesuiranju ratnih zločina, koji su doveli do oslobađanja većine optuženih, a koji dovode u pitanje mjere koje je država preduzela da suzbije nekažnjivost”. Posebno je ukazano na nedostatak istraga komandne odgovornosti i različitih oblika saučesništva, što je dovelo do nekažnjivosti osoba na višem nivou komandne strukture. Crnoj Gori je preporučeno da sve slučajeve prinudnih nestanaka izvršene od državnih službenika ili osoba pod njihovom kontrolom u kontekstu oružanih sukoba na teritoriji bivše SFRJ istraži temeljno i nepristrasno bez daljeg odlaganja, i da se oni čija se odgovornost utvrdi, uključujući najviše predstavnike vojnih i civilnih vlasti, kazne u skladu s težinom zločina. Komitet je apelovao na Crnu Goru da aktivno sarađuje sa državama u regionu na pronalasku nestalih osoba i potrazi za odgovornima za ratne zločine, kao i da obezbijedi da Specijalno državno tužilaštvo bude i obučeno i opremljeno da istražuje i procesuira ratne zločine.

Komitet je apelovao na Crnu Goru da obezbijedi reparacije za sve žrtve ratnih zločina i preduzme odgovarajuće izmjene zakona da bi ih uskladila sa Konvencijom. Ove izmjene uključuju da se prinudni nestanak propiše kao posebno krivično djelo uz adekvatnu kaznu; da se propišu definicija žrtve i prava žrtve, koja uključuju i to da nestala osoba ne mora biti proglašena za umrlu da bi njeni srodnici ostvarili imovinska prava i druga prava iz porodičnih odnosa, itd. Crna Gora do 18. septembra ove 2016. godine treba da izvijesti Komitet o onome što je preduzela na primjeni ovih preporuka.

Zaključna razmatranja Komiteta su dostupna na internet stranici UN: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CED/Shared%20Documents/MNE/CED_C_MNE_CO_1_21699_E.pdf

22/8/2016 HRA CALLS FOR THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO MEDIA LEGISLATION WITH THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, EU AND OSCE

Debate on the proposed amendments to media laws in the Parliament confirmed the need to introduce changes in particular to the Media Act, despite the lack of political will of the majority to adopt amendments to this Act proposed by opposition MPs.

Since 2010 Human Rights Action (HRA) has been advocating for amendments to the Media Act in order to ensure consistent application of the standards of the European Court of Human Rights in the legal system of Montenegro. We urge the authorities to start the procedure of amending the Media Act without further delay.

Taking into account the differences expressed among the political parties, we believe that Draft amendments to the Media Act, Electronic Media Act and RTCG[1] Act, which were submitted to the Parliament by opposition MPs, should be referred to the Council of Europe and the European Union for commentary. Observations pertaining to these laws of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, that she had presented to the Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović in a letter and recently announced to the Montenegrin public, should also be considered and discussed.

Please note that Mijatović did not criticize HRA proposals for amendments to the Media Act, submitted originally in 2010, and then, in a revised edition in 2015 to the Government (Ministers of Justice and Culture) and the Parliamentary Committee for Political System, Justice and Administration, which were also included by opposition MPs in their Draft amendments to the Media Act in July 2016. HRA proposals concerned prescribing of due journalistic care, grounds for the exclusion of liability for damage caused, limiting the amount of non-pecuniary damages, amending the provision relating to the right to correction and reply as well as provisions relating to privacy and interim measure for preventing publishing or republishing, etc. This further highlights the political nature of superficial and unsubstantiated attacks on these proposals that were heard during the debate in the Parliament and outside of it. HRA therefore believes that it is in the best interest of Montenegro to include experts on this topic from Europe in the process of amending the Media Act and other media laws as soon as possible, in relation to whom, we hope, the political parties in power will not have political prejudices.

Chronology:

HRA published its Proposed reform of liability for breach of honour and reputation in Montenegro (defamation and insult law reform) the first time in November 2010, with support from the Open Society Institute. In addition to proposing full decriminalization of Chapter XVII of the Criminal Code of Montenegro and introduction of new criminal offenses to protect journalists, the Proposed reform also contained amendments to the Media Act provisions relating to the standard of due journalistic care, exclusion of liability for damage, limiting the amount of compensation for non-pecuniary damage due to violation of honour and reputation, etc. The proposal was drafted by a working group composed of: Ana Vuković, Judge of the High Court in Podgorica, Dušan Stojković, attorney from Belgrade, Tamara Durutović, attorney from Podgorica, Veselin Radulović, attorney from Podgorica, Peter Noorlander, attorney, Director of Media Law Defence Initiative from London, consultant on the project, and Tea Gorjanc-Prelević, LL.M., Executive Director of Human Rights Action, project editor.

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22/8/2016 HRA POZIVA NA NEOPHODNE PROMJENE MEDIJSKOG ZAKONODAVSTVA UZ UKLJUČIVANJE SAVJETA EVROPE, EU I OEBS-A

Rasprava o predloženim izmjenama medijskih zakona u Skupštini je pokazala da su promjene posebno Zakona o medijima neophodne, bez obzira na to što nije postojala politička volja većine za usvajanje izmjena i dopuna tog zakona koje su predložili poslanici opozicije.

Akcija za ljudska prava (HRA) od 2010. predlaže da se Zakon o medijima dopuni da bi se obezbijedila dosljedna primjena standarda iz prakse Evropskog suda za ljudska prava u pravnom poretku Crne Gore. Pozivamo nadležne da već sada pokrenu postupak izmjena i dopuna Zakona o medijima.

Imajući u vidu ispoljene razlike među političkim partijama, smatramo da bi Predloge zakona o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o medijima, Zakona o elektronskim medijima i Zakona o RTCG, koje su Skupštini predložili poslanici opozicije, trebalo uputiti Savjetu Evrope i Evropskoj uniji na komentare. Takođe, treba uzeti u obzir i raspravljati o komentarima ovih zakona koje je Predstavnica za slobodu medija OEBS-a Dunja Mijatović iznijela u pismu predsjedniku Vlade Crne Gore Milu Đukanoviću i nedavno objavila crnogorskoj javnosti.

HRA skreće pažnju da Mijatović nije kritikovala predloge HRA za izmjene i dopune Zakona o medijima, koji su prvobitno 2010. godine, a zatim, u dopunjenom izdanju i 2015. godine, predloženi Vladi (ministrima pravde i kulture) i skupštinskom Odboru za politički sistem, pravosuđe i upravu, a koje su onda poslanici opozicije uvrstili u njihov Predlog izmjena i dopuna Zakona o medijima u julu 2016. godine. Predlozi HRA se tiču propisivanja ”dužne novinarske pažnje”, osnova za isključenje odgovornosti za štetu, ograničavanja visine naknade nematerijalne štete, dopune regulacije prava na ispravku i odgovor, odredaba o privatnosti i privremenoj mjeri za spriječavanje objavljivanja ili ponavljanja objavljivanja, itd. Ovo dodatno ukazuje na politički karakter površnih i neutemeljenih napada na te predloge koji su se čuli prilikom rasprave u Skupštini i mimo nje. Zbog toga, HRA smatra da je u najboljem interesu Crne Gore da se u proces izmjene Zakona o medijima i drugih medijskih zakona što prije uključi više referentnih stručnjaka iz Evrope, u odnosu na koje, nadamo se, političke partije na vlasti neće ispoljiti političke predrasude.

Hronologija:

HRA je prvi put u novembru 2010. godine objavila Predlog reforme odgovornosti za povredu časti i ugleda u Crnoj Gori (reforme zakona o kleveti i uvredi) uz podršku Fondacije za otvoreno društvo. Ovaj Predlog je pored predloga potpune dekriminalizacije Glave XVII Krivičnog zakonika Crne Gore i propisivanja novih krivičnih djela za zaštitu novinara, sadržao i izmjenu i dopunu odredbi Zakona o medijima u odnosu na standard dužne novinarske pažnje, isključenja odgovornosti za štetu, ograničenje iznosa naknade nematerijalne štete zbog povrede časti i ugleda itd. Predlog je sačinila radna grupa u sastavu: Ana Vuković, sutkinja Višeg suda u Podgorici, Dušan Stojković, advokat iz Beograda, Tamara Durutović, advokatica iz Podgorice, Veselin Radulović, advokat iz Podgorice, Peter Noorlander, advokat, direktor Media Law Defence Initiative iz Londona, savjetnik na projektu, mr Tea Gorjanc-Prelević, izvršna direktorica Akcije za ljudska prava, urednica projekta.

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14/8/2016 TO RAMADA HOTEL: DO THE RIGHT THING AND SUPPORT WHISTLEBLOWER PATRICIA POBRIĆ

Under the motto “Do the right thing”, Human Rights Action addressed a letter to the director and the owner of Ramada Hotel in Podgorica, Montenegro, who decided not to extend the contract of the hotel’s Sales & Marketing Director, Patricia Pobrić, following her disclosing of documents related to the payment of hotel services, which indicated there had been a misuse of public funds.

Although in the meantime her actions led to the initiation of criminal proceedings against a Government employee, Ramada’s management did not extend Patricia’s employment contract, despite her previous outstanding performance results.

HRA considers Ramada Hotel failed to act fairly toward Patricia as well as the public interest in Montenegro and all other employees, who should be encouraged to always support the rule of law and report abuses in the public interest. Also, such treatment is not consistent with the Human Rights Policy Statement of Wyndham Worldwide hotel group, that Ramada Hotel is a member of.

On Friday, 12 August 2016, HRA submitted a letter to both the director and the owner of Ramada Hotel, asking them to reconsider their position and extend an apology to Ms. Pobrić, invite her to collaborate again with Ramada Hotel and encourage all other employees to report suspected corruption in public interest. Otherwise, HRA as human rights organization may no longer continue to be a client of Ramada and advocate human rights under the roof of a hotel treating its employees who dare protect the rule of law in such an unjust manner. The letter in English and Montenegrin language is available here.

In the hope that HRA will not remain the only one to address Ramada management seeking that they do the right thing and support their employee who protected the public interest to the detriment of her own employment, HRA encourages copying and adapting of the letter to the same purpose.

Patricia Pobrić is a single mother of two girls.

Last week, the state Agency for prevention of corruption decided not to provide Patricia with a whistleblower status protection as national law does not explicitly state a whistleblower may report his/her findings through an MP, as she did. HRA emphasized that whistleblowing through an MP has been explicitly provided by the 2014 Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member states on the Protection of Whistleblowers.

14/8/2016 HOTELU RAMADA: UČINITE PRAVU STVAR I PODRŽITE PATRICIU POBRIĆ

Akcija za ljudska prava je pod motom “Učinite pravu stvar / Do the right thing” uputila pismo direktoru i vlasniku hotela Ramada u Podgorici, Crna Gora, koji su odlučili da ne produže ugovor direktorki prodaje i marketinga u hotelu, Patricii Pobrić, kada je objavila dokumente koji su u vezi plaćanja usluge hotelu ukazali na zloupotrebu javnih fondova. Iako je njen čin u međuvremenu doveo do pokretanja krivičnog postupka protiv jedne osobe zaposlene u Vladi, hotel Ramada nije produžila ugovor Patricii, iako je ona u kontinuitetu pružala izvanredne radne rezultate.

HRA smatra da hotel Ramada nije postupila pravično prema Patricii, kao ni prema javnom interesu u Crnoj Gori i svim drugim zaposlenim osobama koje bi morale biti ohrabrene da uvijek pruže podršku vladavini prava i prijavljuju zloupotrebe u javnom interesu. Ovakvo postupanje nije u skladu sa pravilima o primjeni ljudskih prava hotelske grupe “Wyndham Worldwide” čiji je član i Ramada Hotels.

U petak 12.8.2016. smo uputili pismo direktoru i vlasniku hotela Ramada na e-mail adrese tanju.ozalpay@ramadapodgorica.me, omer.dogru@gintash.com.tr i whgcomm@wyn.com, koje je na engleskom i crnogorskom jeziku dostupno ovdje.

Nadamo se da nećemo ostati jedini koji će ovakvo pismo uputiti Ramadi i apelovati na njih da učine pravu stvar i podrže svoju zaposlenu koja je zaštitila javni interes Crne Gore na štetu sopstvenog zaposlenja. Pismo HRA je dostupno za kopiranje i prilagođavanje u istom cilju.

Patricia Pobrić je samohrana majka dvije djevojčice.