PODGORICA, 13.03.2025. – The Basic Court in Podgorica has accepted the lawsuit filed by journalist Dragana Šćepanović from “Vijesti” and “Monitor” against the portal Aktuelno, stating that she, as a public figure, was insulted in an extremely offensive manner and that the use of inappropriate language is not justified by the public interest, nor can it have any general significance, as stated by the Montenegrin Association of Professional Journalists (DPNCG).
According to the statement, the judgment was delivered by Judge Ivana Žujović.
“She awarded non-material damages for the emotional distress caused by the violation of the journalist’s personal rights and ordered the yellow portal to remove 10 articles that were the subject of the lawsuit. The Aktuelno portal, or its founder, the company ‘Ski Resort Kolašin 1450,’ owned by Zoran Ćoćo Bećirović, is required to pay the awarded damages of 2,000 euros within 15 days of the final verdict,” the statement reads.
The judgment, which was delivered today, states that “the defendant, by publishing the articles, exceeded the limits of tolerance and, in criticizing and debating topics of public interest, acted with the intent to discredit and create a negative impression of the plaintiff in the public, portraying her as a collaborator of the ‘media mafia’ and as mentally unstable.”
“The severity of the qualifications made about the plaintiff as a person, and even as a public figure, and the unsubstantiated claims about her work… do not contribute to the debate on matters of public interest regarding current issues,” the ruling adds.