By The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM), in cooperation with the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, organized a two-day workshop “Establishing a National Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists in Montenegro”, aimed at strengthening institutional responses to threats and attacks against media workers.
The workshop, held on June 3 and 4, brought together around 30 representatives from the prosecution, police, media, civil society, ministries, and international organizations. Participants discussed the Dutch PersVeilig protection model as a basis for developing a similar mechanism in Montenegro.
Photo: TUMM
On the first day of the workshop, the focus was on analyzing the existing legal and institutional framework in Montenegro. Special attention was given to the implementation of guidelines issued by the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, the Standard Operating Procedures of the police, recent amendments to the Criminal Code, and lessons learned from the Dutch model.
Photo: TUMM
On the second day, participants identified key challenges in the current response to threats against journalists and explored ways to adapt the PersVeilig mechanism to the Montenegrin context. They defined priority actions, responsibilities, and realistic timelines for establishing a functional protection mechanism, with special emphasis on the importance of inter-institutional coordination.
The workshop was opened by the Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Jan Haukas, who emphasized that journalist safety requires close cooperation among all relevant stakeholders—from media outlets and their owners to police and prosecutors.
Photo: TUMM
“Recognizing the essential role of media freedom, pluralism, and diversity of voices in sustaining democracy and comprehensive security, OSCE participating States must intensify efforts to protect the rights and safety of journalists,” said Ambassador Haukas.
Mirko Bošković, legal advisor of the Media Union, stated that significant progress has been made in recent years in improving the legal framework for journalist protection, primarily through amendments to criminal legislation initiated by SMCG.
Photo: TUMM
“Additionally, the system of institutional response to attacks has improved—judicial authorities respond more swiftly, and penal policies have become stricter,” Bošković said.
However, he emphasized that there is still room for further improvement, especially in the area of non-criminal regulation and the establishment of more efficient mechanisms, such as SOS hotlines and specialized procedures for handling these cases.
The Dutch safety mechanism for media workers is led by Dutch journalist and author Peter ter Velde, who was engaged as an expert consultant for the workshop.
Photo: TUMM
The workshop was organized as part of an EU-funded project.
