Intimidation – verbal threat, Vladimir Otašević, Podgorica, 11.09.2017.

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    Country MN
    Name and Surname Vladimir Otašević
    Gender Male
    Date 11/09/2017
    City / Location Podgorica
    Type of incident Threats against the lives and limbs of journalists
    By whom To journalists by citizens
    Name of the perpetrator Velizar Marković
    Type of media print
    Media name Dan
    Source Media
    Public prosecutor Dismissed charges
    Was journalist`s association informed Yes
    What was journalists' association reaction Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) condemned death threats made to journalist Vladimir Otašević by Velizar Marković - brother of the Prime Minister Duško Marković. At the same time, TUMM expressed its concern regarding brutal and primitive rhetoric which Prime Minister's brother used, broadside and the way he addressed the journalist. TUMM expressed support and solidarity with its colleague Otašević, hoping that the authorities would find a way to protect him and enable him to work freely. TUMM also informed its partners from the Western Balkans Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists' Safety which strongly condemned the threats and expressed solidarity with colleague journalist, as well as with the TUMM in its fight for freedom of the media and the safety of journalists.

    Brother of Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, Velizar Markovic, has made a death threats to Vladimir Otasevic, the journalist of Daily Dan.

    In a phone call on September 11, along with many primitive and vulgar curses, Markovic said to Otasevic: “If you f**king continue to use for political purposes my back trying to understand things, then don’t ask yourself why someone gets killed. Do you get it?”  Also, he told Otasevic “I will find you”, which also represents a threat.

    Otasevic had previously written about the family property of the Prime Minister Markovic, and the property of his brother, Velizar Markovic which irritated him. Otasevic called Markovic the day before to ask for a phone number of his other brother.

    The Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica rejected a criminal complaint against Velizar Markovic, because after investigative actions it found that the threats that Markovic directed to Otasevic did not constitute a criminal offense.