PODGORICA, 02.04.2018. – Commission for Monitoring Actions of Competent Authorities in the Investigation of Cases of Threats and Violence against Journalists, Assassinations of Journalists and Attacks on Media Property in January this year, published a report on the work for the period covering September 23, 2017 to January 23, 2018.
We publish part of the Commission’s report regarding the investigation of the attack on IN4S portal’s editor Gojko Raičević during 2015 protests. It was compiled by Dragoljub Duško Vuković and Marijana Camović.
Raičević claims that in October 2015, police officers attacked him physically without any reason, inflicting him minor injuries. His claims he supported with the findings of medical specialists, testimony of TV Srpska cameraman Goran Ćetković and video footage. Police officers who are suspected for applying unreasonable force have not yet been identified.
From the documents available to the Commission it can be undoubtedly concluded that Raičević on two occasions on the night of October 24, 2015 was the victim of physical violence. He was attacked by masked police officers, members of the Special Anti-terrorist Unit (SAJ) who were present without any legitimate reason.
Consequences of this unlawful police violence are light physical injuries which Raičević documented with valid medical records.
However, from the documents available to the Commission it cannot be concluded with certainty that Raičević was a victim of an unlawful police violence during detention on the morning of October 17, 2015. One detail, however, from the official arrest note made by police officers supports Raičević’s claim that during entering the police van he was pushed and kicked and therefore he fell and injured his knee. The note said that during the “entrance into the vehicle” Raičević’s black purse “Samsonite” slipped from his shoulder. It was, according to the note immediately handed over to the police officer-driver of the vehicle. In support of Raičević’s claim, there is also a medical report on the sustained injuries.
Based on the documents available to the Commission, it is clear that the Police Directorate, despite the urgent appeals from the judiciary, and the requests made by the Protector for Human Rights and Freedoms and the Council for Civilian Control of Police Operations, did not make any serious and transparent effort to identify police officers who are suspected of an unlawful application of force. Emphasizing the fact that SAJ members were masked as aggravating circumstance for the identification of those who violate the laws and rights a message that masked policemen enjoy special protection, which is not law-based is sent to citizens. This creates a lack of citizens’ trust in the police in general, and in its special units in particular.