Podgorica, 1 September 2007
The latest physical attack on the respectable journalist Zeljko Ivanovic represents yet another act in a several years long brutal confrontation of the power centres with the freedom of expression and public speech in Montenegro.
The attack has been instigated by previous lack of discovery and prosecution of the perpetrators of previous similar assaults, including assasination of journalist Dusko Jovanovic and attack on writer Jevrem Brkovic, when his escort had been killed.
It is being displayed that Montenegro is incapable of protecting the right to security of person, freedom of expression and the right to life, in contrast to the promises given by the state authorities to the international community.
We hereby call upon the civil society to persist in requests for efficient investigation and discovery of perpetrators of this and all previous crimes.
Dragan Prelevic, director