On 17 November, the Government of Montenegro replied to a letter sent two months earlier by three United Nations Special Rapporteurs – Margaret Satterthwaite, Irene Khan and Mary Lawlor.

The UN Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, freedom of expression, and the situation of human rights defenders expressed serious concern over media and online attacks by senior officials of the ruling party, Democratic Montenegro, targeting lawyer Veselin Radulović for carrying out his professional duties, as well as the Executive Director of Human Rights Action (HRA), Tea Gorjanc-Prelević, for her defense of lawyers’ rights and fair trial guarantees. They emphasized that such attacks could have a chilling effect on lawyers, human rights defenders, and civil society at large.

The Rapporteurs requested that the Government:

• provide information regarding the allegations;
• explain the measures it is taking to protect Radulović and Gorjanc-Prelević;
• specify the guarantees in place to ensure that lawyers can carry out their work free from pressure and obstruction;
• explain how the State ensures a safe environment for human rights defenders and the protection of freedom of expression.

In its response, from the perspective of one of its ministers, the Government did not address the questions directly. Instead, it largely reiterated international human rights standards, which indicates an attempt to avoid accountability.

It is clear that no protective measures have been taken for Radulović and Gorjanc-Prelević, nor has the Government provided the necessary assurance that future criticism will be addressed with reasoned responses, without inappropriate threats or attempts to discredit lawyers and activists from positions of power.

This outcome undermines the civil society sector and does little to present Montenegro as a leading candidate for European Union membership.