The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) welcomes the conviction of the Mayor of Pljevlja, Dario Vraneš, for his offensive remarks directed at the Executive Director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIN-CG), Milka Tadić Mijović.
We are encouraged that the court recognised that the disputed content contained elements of disparagement, the spread of negative stereotypes about women, and discrimination. We hope that this decision will contribute to setting clearer boundaries in public discourse, particularly when it comes to statements made by public officials.
We note that, in this case, the recently established inter-institutional working group tasked with setting up a national mechanism for the safety of journalists provided legal assistance to Ms Tadić Mijović, which confirms the importance of institutional support in protecting the rights and dignity of journalists.
TUMM once again warns that the online space is becoming increasingly unsafe for women journalists, who are often exposed to insults, threats, and gender-based violence. Such attacks frequently go without adequate condemnation, creating an environment in which violence is normalised.
We expect the competent institutions to respond decisively in similar cases and thereby contribute to creating a safer environment for media work and freedom of expression.
