The International Day Against Police Brutality once again draws attention to the importance of protecting human rights and the urgent responsibility of institutions to effectively prevent and sanction abuses, rather than silently tolerating them.<\/p>\n
However, despite this obligation, Montenegro still lacks an effective institutional response to police torture, allowing such cases to recur. At the same time, impunity undermines public trust in state institutions and threatens the very foundations of the rule of law.<\/p>\n
Although the need for better coordination between the police, prosecution, and judiciary has been recognized, practice shows that such cooperation is either absent or insufficiently effective. As a result, cases of police abuse often remain limited to disciplinary measures, while court proceedings – even when initiated – last for years without concrete results.<\/p>\n
Particularly concerning is the fact that institutions react selectively – while citizens are quickly prosecuted and punished, the accountability of police officers is rarely clearly established. By failing to sanction abuse by those who are supposed to protect citizens, the system sends a message that violence within police structures is acceptable and goes unpunished.<\/p>\n
In addition to the lack of sanctions, the way professional accountability within security structures remains neglected is equally alarming. We continue to witness cases where police officers convicted of abuse not only face no consequences but are promoted and appointed to high-ranking positions. Such practices further reinforce a culture of impunity and send a message that even the most serious misconduct is not an obstacle to career advancement.<\/p>\n
Another key issue in combating police torture in Montenegro is the length of judicial proceedings and the inefficiency of penal policy. Although certain cases of police abuse have reached the courts, judicial processes last for years, exhausting victims and rendering justice meaningless. In this context, verdicts are expected as early as next week in cases involving allegations of police violence during investigations, which will serve as an important test for the judiciary and its ability to respond to such cases.<\/p>\n
Despite numerous challenges in addressing police torture, certain steps toward improving the institutional response have been taken.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the Supreme State Prosecutor issued binding instructions to all prosecution offices for handling cases of torture. These include requirements such as recording the questioning of suspects and obligating doctors to document and photograph injuries, thereby strengthening transparency and the effectiveness of investigations. These measures represent progress in prosecuting torture cases, but their real effectiveness depends on consistent implementation and the determination of institutions to apply them without exception.<\/p>\n
Another significant step toward strengthening the protection of torture victims was made at the end of last year through amendments to the Law on Free Legal Aid, granting victims the right to free legal support. It is important to note, however, that while this right was previously unavailable to victims, police officers – under the Law on Internal Affairs – were entitled to free legal assistance in proceedings related to the use of coercive measures. These amendments have finally established a balance and enabled victims of torture to receive equal support in legal processes.<\/p>\n
The issue of protection from torture and the effective prosecution of police abuse is also important for Montenegro\u2019s European integration, as the EU continuously warns about the problem of impunity within security structures.<\/p>\n
In this context, the announced visit of the Council of Europe\u2019s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) in 2025 represents an important opportunity to assess progress and provide additional impetus for reforms.<\/p>\n
The fight against police torture must be translated into concrete measures that will ensure institutional accountability and the protection of citizens. Competent authorities must demonstrate determination in enforcing the law, prosecuting those responsible, and finally putting an end to the culture of impunity.<\/p>\n
Milan Radovi\u0107<\/em> The International Day Against Police Brutality once again draws attention to the importance of protecting human rights and the urgent responsibility of institutions to effectively prevent and sanction abuses, rather than silently tolerating them. However, despite this obligation, Montenegro still lacks an effective institutional response to police torture, allowing such cases to recur. At the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":747,"featured_media":44188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[711],"tags":[],"tip":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46314"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/747"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46314"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46316,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46314\/revisions\/46316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46314"},{"taxonomy":"tip","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamn.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tip?post=46314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Program Director, Civic Alliance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"