Montenegro: Vijesti hit by record libel damages

A Podgorica court has ordered Vijesti to co-pay record damages of 33,000 Euros after publishing an op-ed article written by a former presidential candidate, who is also to share its payment. The court found that Vijesti had defamed a steel company by publishing an article which called on state prosecutors to investigate the privatisation of a steel plant. It is the largest libel award in Montenegrin history.

The article was written by Nebojsa Medojevic, who called into question the purchase of the steel plant by MNSS BV, a previously little known company with reportedly close connections to the government. The article called for an investigation into the privatisation process, as well as into alleged money laundering.

Mr Medojevic was co-defendant in the action. His defence of freedom of speech and Vijesti's defence of publishing fair comment on a matter of public interest were dismissed by the judge, who found that they had defamed the company's brand.

Vijesti director Zeljko Ivanovic said that the verdict was political and that it must be viewed in the context of a recent statement by prime minister Milo Djukanovic, who said that the court is "the best and most painless" way to punish the media.

The libel award of 33,000 Euros to be paid jointly by Vijesti and Nebojsa Medojevic is the latest in what appears to be a systematic campaign to intimidate Vijesti and TV Vijesti. Both the US and German embassies in Montenegro - as well as the World Association of Newspapers - have criticised the government.

On 18 August, the US Embassy in Montenegro issued a statement calling on the government to tender a broadcasting licence for Podgorica "as soon as possible". The following day, the German Embassy issued a statement noting the "obvious and worrying development in relations towards media that take a critical stance against the Montenegrin government", specifically citing TV Vijesti. It expressed its particular concern at "physical attacks on journalists critical of the conduct of the government". The statement said that, in its relations with the EU, Germany will take the position that the Montenegro government must respect the development of independent media. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers has also written to Montenegrin Prime Minister Djukanovic protesting against the intimidation of Vijesti and TV Vijesti.

The German intervention followed the 5 August 2009 assault on two Vijesti journalists by the Mayor of Podgorica, Miomir Mugosa, and his son, Miljan, who works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro. Mihailo Jovovic, the editor of Vijesti, and Boris Pejovic, a photojournalist, were reporting on a story on parking violations in central Podgorica. When they took photographs of a car belonging to the Mayor parked illegally in front of a café owned by his son, they were assaulted by the Mayor and Miljan Mugosa. At one point, Miljan Mugosa reportedly brandished a gun.

Both Mr Jovovic and Mr Pejovic were injured in the incident, with Mr Jovovic requiring surgery for an injury to his eardrum. Police arrived at the scene and took statements but did not search for the gun even after repeated requests from Mr Jovovic and Mr Pejovic. The police are now investigating Mr Jovovic as a suspect.

The US statement related to the 15 August passing of a statutory deadline for the government to launch a tender for a broadcasting frequency for the capital in what appears to be a clear attempt to keep TV Vijesti off air. By doing so, the authorities are denying the people of Podgorica access to what is widely acknowledged to be the highest quality and most objective TV news in the country, and at the same time depriving TV Vijesti of possible access to essential advertising revenue.

Other instances of intimidation include the September 2007 hospitalisation of Mr Ivanovic after being assaulted as he left a restaurant in the centre of Podgorica. After commenting that he held the government responsible for the attack, Mr Djukanovic launched a 1 million Euro libel claim against Mr Ivanovic.