In letter to Foreign Minister of Montenegro, OSCE Representative expressed concern on prison sentence decision against journalist Jovo Martinović

VIENNA, 16 January 2019 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir yesterday sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, Srđan Darmanović, regarding the recent court sentence against investigative journalist Jovo Martinović.

On 15 January Martinović was sentenced to 18 months in prison for “membership in a criminal organization” and “drug trafficking” after he, as a journalist, had been investigating a criminal organization. He was released from pre-trial detention in January 2017 after spending 14 months in prison.

The Representative recalled that Martinović, who won the Peter Mackler award for courageous and ethical journalism in 2018, is known for his contribution to several documentaries produced by prominent international media, such as the CAPA agency and Vice Media, on criminal organizations including the “Pink Panthers”.

“Investigating a criminal organization does not imply membership with that organization. To view it as such is highly problematic for investigative journalism as a whole, and can create a chilling effect for other reporters investigating other such matters of public interest in the country,” said Désir.

“I hope that this decision will be overturned in an appeal process and that Martinović will be able to continue his journalistic work,” concluded Désir.