Interior Ministry offers million euros for information on the murder of journalist and editor Dusko Jovanovic outside his newspaper’s office 21 years ago – a case that remains unresolved.
The Interior Ministry on Tuesday evening, on the 21st anniversary of the shooting of Dusko Jovanovic in Podgorica, offered a one-million-euro reward for information that will bring his killers to justice.
The ministry said the reward is available to anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and prosecution of those responsible for the 2004 crime.
“The murder of Dusko Jovanovic represents the most serious crime against journalists in the modern history of Montenegro. In past years, state authorities undertook numerous procedural actions, and so far only Damir Mandic has been legally convicted of complicity,” Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic stated.
He said that key questions about who organised, ordered and carried out the crime remain unanswered.
“Solving this case is not only an obligation towards the victim and the journalism profession but also a test of the maturity of the institutions, their readiness to face the legacy of impunity and prove that justice is attainable, regardless of the time that has passed,” the ministry quoted Saranovic as saying.
Jovanovic was assassinated on the night of May 27, 2004, outside the offices of his Dan newspaper in central Podgorica.
His killing drew condemnation across the region and from international press freedom organisations. At the time, Dan was known for its critical reporting on government corruption and organised crime.
While one suspect was convicted of assisting in the murder, the masterminds and direct perpetrators have never been identified.
Montenegro’s Special State Prosecutor’s Office last year confirmed that the investigation into the murder had been formally reopened, following what officials described as “new leads and previously unexamined evidence”.
Authorities now say they are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry and are calling on the public to come forward with any relevant information, incentivized by the newly announced reward.
The Media Union of Montenegro said on Wednesday said that finally solving the murder was essential.
“In Montenegro it is not possible to talk about real freedom of the media, the independence of institutions and the rule of law, until the murder of the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Dan Dusko Jovanovic is fully revealed,” it said.
It noted that since May 27, 2004, when Jovanovic was killed, numerous governments, political structures and office-holders in the security and judicial sectors have changed in Montenegro.
“Nevertheless, the institutional inefficiency in this case and the fact that the principals are still beyond the reach of justice have not changed,” the union said.
“We owe it to Dusko Jovanovic to continue to demand the truth about his murder,” it added.
Source: Balkan Insight
