Hristo Mladenov, a politician and leader of the "Meshere", an informal Roma tribunal, threatened the journalist Veronica Dimitrova with "civil war" and "pre-election riot" because of her tv investigation. Dimitrova discovered connections between Mladenov's party and the pocket-picking mafia in Bulgaria.
Mirko Draganić was arrested last night being suspected for having threatened the security of the journalist and TV Vijesti director Marijana Bojanić. Draganić wrote that he would lynch Bojanić and mentioned as well her children. After the threats, Bojanić said to Vijesti that she expected the authorities to solve the case and uncover the full truth about Draganić.
It was the largest press group in Southeast Europe, with 6000 employees, two newspapers, a sport daily, weeklies, correspondents worldwide. The bankruptcy of Vjesnik group is a symbol of the situation of media in Croatia.
Law enforcement must provide full protection to journalists and their right to report, said the representative of the European Movement in Montenegro. According to the president of the organization, Momcilo Radulovic, violence being perpetrated by others can not be an excuse to law enforcement for obstruction of journalists in reporting and performing their professional duties.
The editor of the daily newspaper Dan and president of Commision for Research of Attacks on Journalists Markovic said that the threats addressed to the Director of Television Vijesti Marijana Bojanic are a consequence of the atmosphere of lynching, created by police through beatings and arrests of journalists. Furthermore he affirmed that if this practice would not be stopped immediately, it˙s only a matter of time, when the next journalist will be killed.
The Council for Civil Control of Police recommended the police to ensure a smooth operation of the media and the presence of journalists on all public gatherings, and also to refrain from unnecessary restriction of their freedom of movement or reporting.
The EU Delegation said that they have been carefully monitoring events in Podgorica in the past few days. They expect from all parties to show restraint and to respect the law by adding that freedom of expression is a fundamental right.
A group of masked rioters stoned TV Pink after the end of the protest in Podgorica. The police detained MJ from Podgorica, being suspected of having thrown stones on the Pink journalist Ivana Drobnjak, which was injured through the attack. She received medical help in a clinical center of Montenegro.
