Human Rights Action (HRA) calls on the competent state prosecutor’s offices to promptly inform the public about the outcome of the investigation into the incident reportedly involving citizens of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Montenegro, in which a Montenegrin citizen sustained minor injuries.

We appeal for the public to be urgently informed about the measures being taken against all those who spread hate speech during the protest in Podgorica, on social media and in other public spaces, in order to act preventively and avert more serious consequences. The slogans “Turks out”, “Move out,” and “Kill the Turk” constitute hate speech that has already been legally defined as a criminal offense in Montenegro, and we expect a consistent response from the State Prosecutor’s Office.

We also urge the immediate identification and prosecution of all those who issued death threats against Reis Fejzić, and for decisive punishment to prevent further threats and the spread of hatred. Montenegro must remain a state governed by the rule of law, one that does not yield to perpetrators of violence, regardless of their nationality.

We hope that those responsible for arson attacks on vehicles and the destruction of business premises owned by Turkish citizens in Podgorica, Bar, and Herceg Novi will soon be identified, and that the competent authorities will keep the public informed in a timely manner.

We expect the State Prosecutor’s Office, by publishing accurate and transparent information, to act preventively and help calm tensions within society.