Brussels, April 3, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Montenegrin authorities to ensure the safety of prominent investigative journalist Saed Sadikovic after a car bomb exploded outside his home in the northern town of Bijelo Polje on April 1.
No one was injured in the bombing, according to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
Sadikovic, a reporter with the local television station TV Vijesti, received threats in February relating to a report he published in December 2017 on a privately owned museum, according to the journalist’s employer and SafeJournalists, a press freedom tracker run by the local journalists’ union. The journalist said he reported the threats to police, but they took no action, according to TV Vijesti.
“Montenegrin authorities must ensure the safety of Saed Sadikovic, find everyone responsible for this car bomb explosion, and bring all the perpetrators to justice,” said CPJ European Union Representative Tom Gibson. “Reporting on matters of public interest is increasingly dangerous across Europe, and EU authorities must monitor the threats and speak out, including as regards potential accession countries.”
Montenegro’s Interior Ministry did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.
Police on April 2 detained two suspects, both relatives of the museum owner, in connection to the car bomb. SafeJournalists reported that police suspect the family members wanted to get back at Sadikovic for his unflattering interview with the museum owner during which Sadikovic pointed out the owner’s lack of knowledge about exhibits.
Sadikovic also reports frequently on corruption and organized crime in Montenegro, according to the regional news website Balkan Insight.