Participants of the conference had a chance to witness the price for the freedom of expression in countries like Montenegro - Forum director Mr Bertrand Pecquerie said.

World Editors Forum condemned yesterday the unsolved murder of editor and director of the daily Dan Mr Dusko Jovanovic. The head of the Foundation devoted to the first murdered editor in Montenegro Mrs Slavica Jovanovic said that his name and work must not be forgotten.
This year's World Editors Forum held in Hamburg, organized by the Association of Newspapers was marked by the appearance of Mrs Slavica Jovanovic, the wife of the late Jovanovic, who presented the work of the Foundation and the life of murdered Dan editor.
- On the front page of Dusko’s newspaper we have been counting the days since his murder. We have arrived to number 2324. The question who killed him still remains unanswered – said Mrs Slavica Jovanovic. The guests of the World Editors Forum thought of it as a scandal and violation of human rights, expressing the commitment to uncover the perpetrators of this serious crime.
Forum director Mr Bertrand Pecquerie said yesterday that participants of the conference had a chance to witness the price for the freedom of expression in countries like Montenegro.
- We believe that crimes like this will never happen again and that it is up to young people to build a better future. We believe they will succeed in that - Mr Pecquerie said.

Marko Vesovic

Mr Jovanovic was assassinated in front of Dan offices on 27th May 2004 and only one person was convicted for co-perpetration while other perpetrators, masterminds and motives remain unknown. The claims of top Montenegrin officials that investigative bodies are on the trail of the murderers proved false. During her speech to participants of the World Editors Forum, Mrs Slavica Jovanovic said that many in Montenegro think that Dusko alone was the only opposition to the regime.
- Dusko was murdered with a clear message – Do not dare to think differently. I am here to ask you for help to realize my dream- let us not allow his name and his sacrifice to be forgotten. The aim of the Foundation Dusko Jovanovic is to develop investigative journalism whose pioneer in Montenegro was precisely Dusko. Upon establishment, on the birthday of Dusko’s son Vojin, the Foundation established the international award which will be awarded every four years – Mrs Jovanovic emphasized. She explained that the award, whose winner will be known next May, is intended for the best investigative journalism article. The winner will get 20,000 euros, gold coin with Dusko’s image and the Charter.
World Editors Forum decided that details of Dusko Jovanovic’s life and the Dan’s fight for truth, as well as the contest for the award announced by the Foundation should be published on the website of the Association of Newspapers (WAN).

M.Vesovic

Slavica Jovanović na forumu urednika u Hamburgu

We hold the Government responsible

In a statement for WAN, Mrs Slavica Jovanovic has said that details of Dusko Jovanovic’s murder are still unknown.
- As long as the situation is like that, as long as masterminds of the murder remain unknown, we will hold the Government responsible- Jovanovic said in an interview which is available on the popular internet site youtube.

Aim high, dig deep

- As for the story we would like to receive, there is a slogan of investigative journalism which is also the title of the book: “Aim high, dig deep”. The one who succeeds in that is the winner of Dusko Jovanovic Award. With this award, the Foundation wants to encourage journalists to investigate and that is the main reason for its existence – Mrs Slavica Jovanovic said.

Pressures and lawsuits

During her meeting with WAN representatives and members of the World Editors Forum, Mrs Slavica Jovanovic said that Montenegrin media were faced with major problems especially because of assaults, threats, pressures and high claims for defamation.
- Things Jovanovic wrote about ten years ago are present in today’s Montenegrin media. Time has shown the exactness of his views. Today those in Montenegro who represent the opposition views aren’t in a good position – added Mrs Jovanovic.
She spoke with her collocutors about lawsuits and attacks on the daily Dan and stressed the importance of publishing more articles in the Western press which would show the situation in Montenegro.
WAN representatives and forum members said they were worried about media freedom and they would send a mission to Montenegro followed by the report. They have heard of murders of journalists or 1,000,000 euros defamation lawsuits only in parts of Africa and South America, but not in a country close to its EU candidate status.

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