The Basic Prosecutor in Bijelo Polje, Jelena Vučetić, has concluded that there are insufficient grounds for criminal charges against those who obstructed journalist Alisa Hajdarpašić while she was reporting last year. This was communicated today by the Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPNCG), highlighting the prosecutor’s reliance on statements from everyone but the journalist and the court expert.

“The incident occurred when the then TV Vijesti correspondent was observing a police search at the Lazović family home in Orahovica following the arrest of former high-ranking security sector official Zoran Lazović, who was apprehended on April 14, 2024, as ordered by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT). During this time, the correspondent reported being harassed and insulted by a group of individuals—particularly Vladan Kovačević and Sakib Čindrak—who rallied in support of the Lazović family and obstructed her from recording police activity,” the DPNCG statement, signed by its president Mila Radulović, states.

The association noted that the prosecutor “arrived at this decision based on her ruling, after none of the officers present verified the crowd’s obstruction of the journalist, a claim that was virtually impossible to confirm given that some officers were engaged in the house search or were not present at the location.”

“Only one police officer at the site confirmed awareness of a journalist’s presence and recounted a disturbance among the assembled crowd, to whom he claimed he had advised to maintain public order due to their noise. The Bijelo Polje ODT’s decision illustrates the prosecutor’s failure to acknowledge the hindrance faced by journalists in their work and lack of proper support from the police, who, in an apparent effort to intimidate witnesses, provided her with a list of individuals not actually present at the scene. The prosecutor based her decision solely on footage recorded by the journalist that day, which indicates that Sakib Čindrak was actively preventing her from capturing the unfolding police action. He now faces a misdemeanor charge, with a hearing scheduled in the Bijelo Polje Misdemeanor Court on June 2,” the DPNCG explained.

According to the prosecution’s records, witnesses and suspects provided nearly identical accounts and descriptions of what transpired.

“In their testimonies, they inexplicably claimed ignorance of Hajdarpašić’s status as a journalist, despite noting her swift driving, vehicle details, and her supposedly calm demeanor while getting into her car post-incident. They also professed to treating her with respect due to her gender, even while allegedly hurling insults at her. In her statement to the police, the journalist remarked on being verbally attacked in relation to her gender and was called derogatory names. Contradicting their accounts, an expert appointed by the prosecution examined documents from the Emergency Room and the Bijelo Polje Health Center and concluded that the journalist experienced a psychological reaction to acute stress, likely related to the incident,” the DPNCG stated.

The association emphasized, “It’s evident that prosecutors make decisions based on evidence, but it remains unclear how they can overlook the premeditated testimonies of rally attendees and why the journalist experienced stress if those present were indeed so courteous and respectful.”

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