On the occasion of the International Day Against Racial Discrimination, Human Rights Action wishes to condemn in particular the examples of racism in Montenegro, such as the case of Al-Mustafa family from Podgorica, who are systematically endangered by various kinds of racist violence, as well as today’s expression of hatred towards the Croat Civil Initiative in Tivat.

The competent national authorities for criminal prosecution must prove the intention of the state to eradicate racial and ethnic hatred and discrimination in this and all similar cases, through effective and legal response.

On the basis of the existing Criminal Code, as well as its proposed amendments, severe punishment of all offenses committed out of hatred must be ensured, in order to effectively prevent such wrongdoings that are especially harmful to the society in general. Educating young people not to be afraid and not to hate others because of their inherent differences, such as origin, colour, language, religion, etc., should be the primary responsibility of every parent and every school.