PODGORICA, 04.09.2018. – Almost three years after the attack on the editor of the IN4S portal, Gojko Raičević, which was registered on the Council of Europe Platform for the Promotion of Journalism Protection and Safety of Journalists, the Government of Montenegro responded and send the recommendation to close the case.
This recommendation comes after the first instance verdict of the Basic Court in Podgorica showed that Raicevic, during the protest in 2015, was subjected to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment by police officers.
“Having in mind the flow of time and specific, detailed activities carried out in these cases, which confirmed the commitment to investigate in detail and punish the offenders of offenses that are being charged, the closing of the case at the CoE Platform for the Promotion of Journalism Protection and the Safety of Journalists is proposed“, states the response from Government.
Raicevic sued the Ministry of Internal Affairs because he was brutally beaten during the period from October 17 to 24, 2015 while, as he claims, he was doing his job and reporting from the protest. He asked the MIA to pay 75,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage. Nevertheless, the first instance verdict of the Basic Court in Podgorica, in April this year, partially accepted his request. It was judged that the state, or the MIA, should pay 6.000 Euros on the basis of compensation for non-pecuniary damage.