By At its session on 26 February, the Government of Montenegro appointed an intersectoral working group tasked with establishing a national mechanism for the safety of journalists.
The working group’s mandate is to analyse existing legislation and institutional procedures and to propose concrete solutions to ensure that the future Mechanism effectively protects journalists and other media professionals. Until the system is fully established, the group will, in its initial phase, assume part of its functions – monitoring ongoing cases of attacks and threats and providing legal and psychological support to those affected.
The working group will be chaired by journalist Predrag Nikolić, with Dražen Đurašković of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro serving as his deputy.
Its members include Pavle Jokić, adviser to the Government’s Secretary-General; Goran Mugoša from the Ministry of the Interior; prosecutor Maja Janković; attorney Mirko Bošković; and psychologist and psychotherapist Dragana Đokić.
The initiative to establish the Mechanism was launched by the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro and formalised through the signing of the Protocol on the Protection of Journalists in October 2025. The Protocol was signed by representatives of the prosecution service, the ministries of culture, justice and interior, as well as representatives of the media community.
The future national mechanism will be modelled on the Dutch PersVeilig system, operating as a rapid response framework to attacks, threats and pressure against journalists. This will include a unified procedure for handling all reported cases, as well as a dedicated 24-hour hotline for reporting incidents.
Upon receiving a report, designated contact points within the police and prosecution service would be activated immediately to ensure a prompt response. The objective is for the Mechanism, the police and the prosecution to operate as a coordinated and operational team capable of providing swift and effective protection for journalists.
