Montenegro Promises to Compensate for Publishing Self-Isolators’ Names

Montenegrin army officers guarding quarantine in the town of Niksic. Photo: Government of Montenegro

According to government data, 2,720 persons filed lawsuits against the state for publishing their names on lists of people ordered to self-isolate.

"Last December, the government agreed to pay 300 euros each in damages to every citizen whose name was published on those lists. The compensation will be paid for violation of personal rights by publishing personal data," the government told BIRN.

Podgorica-based lawyer Dalibor Kavaric, who represented most of the citizens filing lawsuits, said the government had violated their human rights despite its claims that this was done in the public interest.

"The state has an obligation to protect the rights of every citizen even when it comes to the public health interest. When those lists were published, there was increased fear in the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of that, those people were stigmatized, as they were presented as a public threat," Kavaric told BIRN.

"We are not satisfied with the amount of compensation, as it should be at least ten times higher," he added.

The government published the names on March 21, 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite warnings from opposition parties and civic society organisations that it risked violating their constitutionally guaranteed human rights. They also warned that citizens whose names were published might sue the state.

The government insisted it had a right to publish the names because some citizens were not respecting self-isolation obligations.

It said it had approval for its actions from the Agency for Personal Data Protection. It also stressed that the security forces could not...

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