"I strongly condemn the attacks and insults directed at my colleague, educator and MP Branka Marković, who reacted to yesterday's attack by Andrija Nikolić on the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro, Boris Pejović. This is unfortunately a consequence of the extraordinary abuse of "freedom of speech" and tolerance of the alarming increase in general verbal, psychological and digital violence that is rampant in public space, and often directly from the Parliament of Montenegro, through examples of unworthy behavior of irresponsible individuals - spills over to social networks and portals that further spread such content indiscriminately, creating fertile ground for a kind of promotion of violence," said Minić in a statement.
Increasingly, she points out, this violence is "spillover" to our male colleagues, who become targets of the criminal milieu, orchestrated by bots and cyber bullies who sow hatred, issuing death threats, along with threats of persecution and murder, thus creating an atmosphere of intolerance, insecurity and brutal targeting and humiliation of individuals who publicly express their views.
"As a society, we must resist every form of tyranny and everything that undermines the foundations of democracy. Under the pretext of "freedom of speech", we must not tolerate what is an absolutely unacceptable model in the member states of the European Union, which directly violates human rights, including the rights of those who are obliged to endure a greater degree of criticism. It is clear that in the case of MP Marković, it is not about criticism, but about the abuse of public space, its contamination with the most heinous primitivism, and the systematic threat to personal dignity, professional integrity and safety," Minić points out.
It calls on institutions – from the Parliament, where we witness scenes from a thriller, to the police, prosecutors, and regulatory bodies – to urgently act against violence, each within their own domain and jurisdiction.
"Only through united resistance and togetherness can we be effective in protecting democracy, human rights and our citizens who are fighting for a strong and just Montenegro," concluded Minić.
