Podgorica, (MINA) - By adopting amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs and the Law on the National Security Agency (ANB), the Montenegrin government has allowed party domination over the security sector at the expense of human rights, including the rights to due process, privacy and judicial oversight.

This was announced by the NGO Human Rights Action (HRA).

“Instead of respecting human rights, police officers have been placed in a position where they could lose their jobs through a secret procedure for determining security disturbances, in which they would neither be informed of the allegations against them, nor have the opportunity to respond”, the press release said.

The HRA stated that, rather than strengthening police professionalism and preventing discrimination, further non-transparent employment under political control was enabled.

“The broad powers of ANB officials to access sensitive data of citizens without prior judicial supervision have been retained”, the press release said.

The HRA also warned that the opportunity for a fundamental democratic reform of the state secret service was missed.

“This strengthening of political control over the security sector is happening in the sixth year since the so-called historic change of government in Montenegro, when citizens were promised democratic reforms”, ​​the press release states.

The HRA stated that both laws were adopted despite warnings from domestic and international organizations.

According to them, the absence of a clear request from the European Commission for aligning the contested provisions with European standards before their adoption is concerning.