Human Rights Action today called on Ombudsperson Siniša Bjeković and the Chair of the Parliament of Montenegro’s Security and Defence Committee, Nikola Zirojević, to use their powers to oversee the work of the National Security Agency (ANB), in light of highly concerning allegations reported by the Centre for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), first regarding recruitment practices and later the monitoring of ANB employees.

We also asked the Supreme State Prosecutor, Milorad Marković, to inform the public about the steps taken so far by the competent prosecutor regarding the criminal complaint filed by ANB employees against ANB management. The complaint concerns allegations of illegal and constant surveillance and monitoring of employees, which were also reported by CIN-CG. This is especially important because CIN-CG journalists have already been questioned by the police on the order of the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly publishing classified information in an article about inadequate security vetting procedures within the ANB.

Human Rights Action supports the work of CIN-CG journalists in the public interest and in support of the rule of law. Regarding the questioning of journalists Andrea Perišić and Đurđa Radulović over an article dealing with a matter of urgent public interest, namely the employment of people in the ANB without proper security checks, we believe that the actions of the State Prosecutor’s Office are contrary to freedom of expression and have an inappropriate chilling effect on investigative journalists and their sources.

Instead of inviting the competent oversight bodies—the Ombudsperson and the Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee—to investigate the serious concerns raised by CIN-CG regarding security vetting procedures and the alleged illegal monitoring of employees, ANB Director Ivica Janović filed a criminal complaint against the journalists. This appears to be an attempt to use the police and prosecution services to discover their sources.

This repeats an undemocratic practice that undermines the rule of law, similar to events in 2011, when MANS activists, including Vanja Ćalović Marković, and Monitor journalist Petar Komnenić were investigated and unlawfully monitored in an attempt to discover who had posted online a video showing criminals at the wedding of a drug boss from Rožaje together with Zoran Lazović and other members of Montenegro’s security services. Instead of investigating the conduct of those allegedly secret agents at the time, some of them are today being prosecuted for involvement in serious organised crime.

In its letters to Ombudsperson Bjeković and Security and Defence Committee Chair Zirojević, HRA urged them to examine in particular the following allegations:

• that a former member of the Armed Forces of Montenegro was hired by the ANB, despite reportedly singing Chetnik songs and threatening to burn the Montenegrin flag while serving with international forces in Bulgaria in 2024;
• that a person who initially failed a security check was later employed by the ANB based on a recommendation from a close associate of the current ANB Director;
• that a close associate of the current ANB Director was employed despite allegations that his brother had been involved in drug-related criminal activities;
• that members of the same families work within the same departments;
• that senior positions, including chief inspector posts, are occupied by people who do not have the required qualifications or have not passed the necessary exams for work in state administration;
• and the allegations published by CIN-CG on 13 June regarding the illegal monitoring of employees through a special application.

HRA recalls that former ANB Director Dejan Peruničić and ANB operative Srđa Pavićević were last month convicted in the first instance and sentenced to five years and one year and four months in prison, respectively, for illegally wiretapping and monitoring opposition leaders, the Chief Special Prosecutor, journalists, activists, and senior church officials.

At the same time, the ANB has not been democratically reformed through fundamental legislative changes. Instead, its powers have been expanded at the expense of human rights. This has also prompted concerns from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy, and HRA has filed an initiative with the Constitutional Court seeking a review of the constitutionality of the law.