Human Rights Action (HRA) condemns the incident that took place, on 8 August, after the meeting of the local committee of the Socialist People’s Party of Montenegro. On that occasion Daily Dan journalist Lidija Nikčević was harshly verbally attacked during performance of her professional duties and, according to Daily Dan statements, exposed to an attempt of physical assault.

Unfortunately, yesterdays’ incident has proved fully justified HRA proposal, from November 2010, to prescribe new criminal offences for enhanced protection of journalists during performance of their professional duties: “Preventing Journalists from Performing Their Professional Duties” and “Assaulting a Journalist Performing His/ Her Professional Duties”.

Thus, journalists would have the same protection as civil servants in discharge of their official duties.

Introduction of the proposed criminal offences would not only contribute to enhanced protection of journalists and creation of conditions for a court to decide in a case of an attack and to sanction it, but, it would also serve as a tool for education and informing public about the importance of journalistic profession and for providing necessary conditions for journalists to perform their tasks and inform  public on all matters of the public interest.