By In November, two new incidents were recorded in the SafeJournalists database. Srđan Stanojević, a TV director with Television Vijesti, stated on his Facebook profile that, after the recording of a show, he had a heated verbal altercation with guest and MP Vladimir Dobričanin. The discussion over a video shown in the program allegedly escalated to insults, threats involving pepper spray, and an almost physical confrontation, after which Dobričanin allegedly apologized. Stanojević did not report the incident to the police.
On November 6, the Bijelo Polje Police submitted a criminal complaint against Radojko Filipović for allegedly threatening journalist Alisa Hajdarpašić on Facebook. He is accused of posting a comment under a news article that contained threats to her life and safety, causing her fear and distress. The prosecutor ordered his detention for up to 72 hours.
Nine Months in Prison for Threatening the Journalist
The Basic Court in Kolašin sentenced Miodrag Novaković to nine months in prison for threatening E Television journalist Itana Kaluđerović on Facebook. Judge also ordered psychiatric treatment, after Novaković admitted posting the message “You should watch out, for a bullet.” He was convicted of the aggravated offense of Endangering Safety, which carries stricter penalties when the victim is a journalist and which, at the initiative of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) and Human Rights Action (HRA), was incorporated into the Criminal Code in 2022.
At the trial to Danko Femić, charged with coercing two photojournalists during the removal of a chetnik commander’s monument in Gornje Zaostro, several defense witnesses testified that no incident occurred and that the interaction was peaceful. Their testimony contrasts sharply with the journalists’ reports of being threatened, attacked, and forced to delete their material.
On November 30, Bijelo Polje police said that they filed a criminal complaint against M. K. on suspicion that he endangered the safety of Vijesti journalist Jelena Jovanović. The police acted upon Jovanović’s report from October 10, stating that she had received offensive and disturbing messages via Facebook.
European Commission Recognizes Poor Working Conditions in the Media
Between 2021 and 2024, the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) recorded 32 incidents in which the victims were women journalists, including 11 attacks in 2024 alone. During the same four-year period, 36 male journalists were attacked, while 28 other incidents targeted media outlets or groups, bringing the total number of attacks to 96. These findings were presented as part of a TUMM’s new study on the safety of women journalists in Montenegro.
TUMM welcomed the European Commission’s latest report highlighting poor working conditions, lack of a sectoral collective agreement, and low salaries in the media sector. The report also criticized delays in appointing members to the Agency for Audio-Visual Media Services Council and emphasized the importance of protecting the independence of RTCG.
A group of NGOs and civic activists expressed full support for Duško Vuković’s candidacy for the Council of Montenegro’s Agency for Audiovisual Media Services. They criticized MP Jelena Nedović’s remarks suggesting NGO nominees should be government-approved, emphasizing that civil society must remain independent and serve the public interest.
