Podgorica, (MINA) – The Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPNCG) has launched an initiative to amend the Criminal Code by including provisions that would tighten the penalties for attacks on female journalists and other women engaged in work of public interest, targeted with attacks and threats due to their professional orientation.

The DPNCG stated, recalling that the Criminal Code is in the process of being amended, that they have initiated that attacks on female journalists, MPs and civil rights activists be classified as a form of the criminal offense of hate speech.

They said that they discussed the initiative with Minister of Justice Bojan Bozovic and Director General of the Directorate for Criminal and Civil Legislation Jelena Grdinic.

“A general agreement was reached that a possible solution could be to include “professional orientation” as one of the grounds for a qualified form of the criminal offense of hate speech, in the sense of identifying persons who perform tasks of public interest”, said DPNCG.

The Ministry of Justice officials assured them, as they stated, that the initiative would be taken seriously and reminded them that the Criminal Code is currently being reviewed by the European Commission.

DPNCG recalls that hate speech against MPs, civil activists and other women who are in the public sphere is very dangerous, stating that they believe that such cases should be severely punished so that the state sends a message that it does not tolerate this type of violence.