Podgorica, (MINA) - The protection of journalists and all participants in public debate is a matter of fundamental human rights, but also a test of Montenegro’s commitment to European values ​​and standards, the Institution of the Human Rights and Freedoms Protector stated.

The Ombudsman condemned the verbal attacks and social media harassment targeting the director and one of the journalists of Radio Television Podgorica, expressing concern about the continuation of intimidation and pressure on media freedom.

According to the press release, there is concern that the frequency of such cases and repeated convictions do little to lessen their impact in the public eye.

They said that recently, female politicians have been become frequent targets of insults due to their political views, with MP Jelena Nedovic facing particular intense attacks.

“In this context, the response of the competent authorities is crucial in the form of taking necessary measures so that all cases are processed efficiently, and journalists and other public actors can work and express their views freely and without fear”, the press release states.