OSCE Head of Mission condemns latest arson attack against Montenegrin daily Vijesti

PODGORICA, 14 February 2014 – The Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Janina Hrebickova, today strongly condemned the arson attack on a vehicle owned by the daily newspaper Vijesti, which was deliberately set on fire in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“This is a renewed arson attack on vehicles belonging to Vijesti. The OSCE recalls the three arson attacks on the daily’s delivery vehicles in July and August 2011. We acknowledge the response of the police at the crime scene and urge the police and prosecutor to make every effort to identify and convict the perpetrators responsible.”

“No person has been arrested and convicted for any of the 2011 three attacks on the Vijesti vehicles,” she said. “Therefore, determined investigation of this arson attack is highly necessary, and everything must be done to prevent such incidents from recurring.”

This statement follows remarks by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović who called on the authorities to condemn and investigate this incident, which she said was yet another one in a series of attacks on Montenegrin journalists.