PODGORICA, 3.6.2020. – The Council for Civil Control of Police held a regular session today in the Parliament of Montenegro, chaired by MA Aleksandar Sasa Zekovic. Several cases were considered, which were formed on the complaints of citizens, police officers, NGOs and on the own initiative of the members of the Council.
Professor Drazen Cerovic and lawyer Zoran Celebic also took part in this session. In one part of the session participated, by invitation, Mr. Damir Suljevic, program assistant at the Center for Civic Education (CCE), Ms. Mila Radulovic, Secretary General of the Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPN Montenegro), Jelena Popovic, associate in DPN of Montenegro and Ms. Marijana Camovic Velickovic President of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM). These organizations submitted complaints to the Council for Civil Control of Police Work on the treatment of police officers of the Security Center (CB) Niksic towards journalist Velisa Kadic, head of the Correspondence of Vecernje novosti in Montenegro.
CCE, DPN of Montenegro and TUMM , in separate complaints, requested verification of the conduct of police officers in Security Center Niksic towards journalist Kadic and protection of journalists and unhindered performance of journalistic tasks. The complainants, referring to the allegations of the journalists, called on the Council to check, in accordance with its legal powers, whether the police officers acted lawfully by bringing journalist to the police station, interrupting him in his regular work and specific task. Concerns were expressed about allegations that police officers resorted to drastic measures, using force, deleting recordings from his phone about the treatment of two police officers towards a young man who was dragged while resisting arrest.
Journalist Velisa Kadic also participated in the previous session of the Council, where he presented the case in detail and answered numerous questions from all members of the Council. The Council submitted the available documentation and other attachments, which include the record of the notification collected from the citizen, signed by journalist Kadic without objections to the actions of the police and requesting a copy for himself, for information and statement to the complainants.
The Council informed the participants from the civil society about the procedure and its findings so far. All elements of the Kadic’s case were discussed and the available official documentation and material evidence were jointly reviewed and analyzed. The Council stated that the complaints and allegations of the journalists contained serious remarks. The Council assessed that full attention should continue to be paid to the verification of allegations that police officers obstructed the work of journalists. Representatives of the DPN of Montenegro and the TUMM agreed with the decision of the Council to give journalist Kadic an additional deadline in order to check again the technical possibilities for access to the content on the phone that is claimed to have been deleted. The DPN of Montenegro and TUMM have announced additional support in this regard. After the session, the Council was informed that journalist Kadic had already accepted the offered help of the journalistic and trade union media organizations. Work on this case will continue.
Regardless of this case, cooperation and communication between the police and media workers (journalists, photojournalists, cameramen), moral and ethical issues in the work of police officers and journalists, the relationship of personal beliefs to professional standards and work requirements were discussed in detail. Also, the current achievements of civilian police supervision was treated. In this regard, the need for the Council for Civilian Control of Police Work to reaffirm its earlier recommendation to give fluorescent vests with the label “Press” for better recognition and visibility was jointly recognized. In 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro accepted the recommendation of the Council and distributed these vests.
The Council and the representatives of CCE, DPN Montenegro and TUMM jointly expressed the basic belief that police officers in every situation should enable the smooth operation of the media and the presence of journalists and refrain from unnecessarily restricting their freedom of movement or reporting. The Council decided, with the full consent of all organizations, to send appropriate recommendations to the Police Directorate in order to strengthen the capacity of police officers and journalists and strengthen mutual relations and cooperation through joint cooperation with journalists and media organizations. In this regard, it will be recommended to jointly organize a workshop Reporting in Crisis Situations and to publish a joint publication containing standards and guidelines for the treatment of journalists by the police.
The Council, also, considered complaints about the work of the police submitted by citizens N.I, B.V, P.N, M.B, J.G., all from Podgorica and Berane.