Fair Trial Sought for Montenegrin Investigative Reporter

The European and International Federations of Journalists, EFJ/IFJ, together with the Media Union of Montenegro, have called for the release of the investigative journalist Jovo Martinovic, urging the Montenegrin courts to ensure him a fair trial.

They say the case of the reporter, who has been behind bars for almost a year, has given rise to deep concern about the court proceedings.

He is charged with membership of a criminal organisation and with drug trafficking.

In a letter to Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, which BIRN has seen, EFJ president Mogens Blicher Bjerregard and IFJ president Philippe Leruth urge the authorities to consider his journalistic work as an explanation for his alleged contacts with drug traffickers.

"Martinovic has insisted he is not guilty, saying his contacts with the other suspects were purely linked to his work as a journalist. His interactions with two of the other 17 suspects in the alleged drug-trafficking were part of his journalistic work," they said.

"We are shocked by the gravity of his possible sentence to more than 10 years in prison," the letter added.

Martinovic was detained on suspicion of participating in a drug trafficking ring last October.

He has always insisted that his contacts with the other suspects were solely linked to his work as a journalist.

BIRN reported in April that Martinovic had interactions with two of the other 17 suspects in the alleged drug-trafficking scheme as part of his journalistic work. They were Dusko Martinovic - no relation - and Namik Selmanovic.

Dusko Martinovic, the main suspect, is also a convicted member of the "Pink Panther"  thieves gang. Jovo Martinovic worked with him on a series of TV shows by the VICE...