On anniversary of Montenegrin journalist's killing, OSCE media freedom representative calls for end of impunity for attackers

On 28 May 2013, the ninth anniversary of the murder of Montenegrin journalist Duško Jovanović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, urged the authorities to end the impunity against journalists’ attackers.

Jovanović, who was editor-in-chief and owner of the daily Dan, was shot and killed while leaving his office in Podgorica on 27 May 2004. He had frequently published critical news articles and also received numerous death threats prior to his murder.

“Such acts of violence against media workers not only threaten the victims themselves, but they also have a direct impact on media freedom in the country,” Mijatović said.

In the Jovanović case only Damir Mandić, who was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment as an accomplice to the crime, has so far been convicted. The individuals behind the murder have yet to be identified.

“I welcome the fact that there is an on-going investigation. I urge the authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” Mijatović said.

"I continue to monitor the case of Duško Jovanović and I also continue to follow all other cases in OSCE countries where journalists have been killed in relation to their work,” she said.