Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Council of Europe Demands Change in Montenegro


STRASBOURG, France, January 17, 2007 -- Montenegro won't be allowed to join the Council of Europe until the country meets the requirements relating the new Constitution.

Podgorica's daily Vijesti writes that the Council of Europe wants Montenegro to be defined as a civic state and to adopt legislation providing for civil control over the armed and security forces.

The requirements include also guarantees for professional independence of the court judges and forbidding state prosecutors to represent the government in civil proceedings.

Citing sources of COE, Vijesti says this was just "a shortlist of the requirements".

Montenegro, along with Belarus, are current applicants for admission to the COE. However, earlier this month the COE's Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) advised Montenegro to take measures to fight corruption in the judiciary.

According to GRECO, the lack of independence of Montenegrin judges and prosecutors is a source of concern. It advised local authorities to draft a strategy that would include stricter hiring procedures for judges and prosecutors, and better supervision of the sector.

This report comes as Montenegro is being closely monitored in its handling of the Albanian prisoners being detained on several counts of "terrorism." Accusations of police brutality, torture, and a judiciary highly influened by the ruling DPS has led many to believe that the prisoners cannot receive a fair trial.

FULL REPORT: http://www.coe.int/t/dg1/Greco/evaluations/round2/GrecoEval1-2(2005)4_Montenegro_EN.pdf

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

FINALLY, an internatonally recognized agency that uncovers the truth about Montenegrin corruption other than what Albanians have been demonstrating about all these years!!

There are many more corruptive practices that the COE is not aware of, and we should step in and make sure they are informed.

Anonymous said...

Hello,
Finally we are being heard. The Albanian Daispora should closely try to work with these organizations, instead we are fighitng amongst ourselves.
We have to let them know and have our parties invite some observers from these org. so they can see with their own eyes how corrupt and what kind of faschist state Montenegro is!.
We will prevail because we are righ. May God blees our people.

Anonymous said...

All these Albanian organizations in the Diapora and not one appeals to Strasbourg on the dire conditions of Albanians in Montenegro.

There is a formal appeal process that either individuals and/or groups can bring against the state. The COE Court then reviews the complaint and hands down an opinion. Even if nothing comes out from this at least Strasbourg knows there is something wrong in Montenegro with minorities.

Why doesn't anyone do this?

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't our Member of Parliament Vasel Sinishtaj do this?

Or an NGO in Malesia, like UNITAS?

Or those discriminated against in Montenegro -- the local minorities??

Are they not competent enough?

Anonymous said...

Don't make this report from the COE seem to be more than it really is.

Most European countries have problems with its judiciary, especially those transitioning to Democracy. True, Montenegro is not a full democracy yet but it is making giant leaps forward.

And by you coming out and using this report to identify Albanians as victims - please, get real.

The evidence is real, the objective were real, and the arrests are legitimate. This was not an us against Albanians issue, any perpetrator Albanian or Montenegrin would have been treated teh same way.

If Albanians want to improve their conditions, then they should concentrate more on participation and less on break-away mentalities.

Anonymous said...

Listen Sasa-vic,

Let's talk about Montenegro's constitution and how it fails to recognize Albanians and other minorities as members of the state you refer to.

The issues at hand in Venice are the country's official language, whether Montenegrins living abroad should have voting rights, and whether Montenegro should be defined as a civic state or a "state of nations".

Why is the official language Montenegrin where 63% of the population speaks Serbian and another 10% speak Albanian -- that's 73% of non-Montenegrin speakers!

Not one public sign or symbol is translated into Albanian. Why is that?

State symbols should be defined in a manner that doesn't allow minorities to see them as their own. Where is the Albanian flag in state agencies?

If Albanains are encouraged to participate, then why not grant voting privledges to Albanians living abroad (where most reside anyway)? Is it because they are not "Montenegrin?" What is a Montenegrin, a non-Albanain? If this is so then your mentality discriminates us right away.

Why doesn't the constitution define Montenegro as a community of nations, where Albanians represent a distinct nation?

Does Montenegro fear that we will seek secession?

Please, your assertions here have no merit!

Anonymous said...

Hello Tina,
Do not be so rude. After all Sasa is entitled to her opinion.
Let's show some class and exchange views without insults.
You are pretty mean some times in your comments. I do not know how old are you, but you do not come across as an experienced politician. We have problems the way we do becuase people do not want to hear each other out.
So let's be constructive and speak with fact and not with emotions.
Everybody in Montenegro has to get off the high horse and become practical and that goes for us Albanians as well mas Montengrins.
Regards...

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous,

Why don't you get off your "high mule" and re-read my previous post, or have somebody interpret it for you, because it is obvious you don't understand it (given the way you write English).

Sasa (who is male not female) is basically insisting that Albanians are not victims of abuse and that we need to work within the socio-political system -- the same system that has assimilated & tormented tens of thousands of Albanians over the decades.

As far an me being an "inexperienced politician", you're right, I am not and will always refuse to be one. One doesn't need to be a politician in order to correctly dissimenate the facts and produce concrete evidence of humilitaion.

My comments/assessments are always backed up by facts, not emotion, as I have witnessed some of you on this site.

Once you learn to argue articulately, then address me, please.

As far as Mr. Miledanovic is concerned, he could learn a lot by reading over the previous articles on this site, including posts, etc. As far as you, show some backbone and stand up for your rights!

Anonymous said...

Ok, ok people, can't we all just get along?

Why doesn't someone copy and mail this report to the Austrian authorities holding Dod (Doci) Lucaj?

I'm sure the fact that Montenegro's judiciary and state prosecutor are corrupt might just help his extradition case.

Anonymous said...

just as a matter of clarification - you cannot expect Vasel Sinishtaj or anyone else from the local government of Tuzi to apply to the Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg until two formal conditions are met: Montenegro should be a member state of the Council of Europe, and all legal remedies within the country's legal system should have been exhausted.
Personally, I hope that this will happen as soon as these conditions are met!
I am not sure though, whether hey cold invoke the Convention against torture, since Monenegro has declared its comittment to this Convention(and some other) while waiting for membership.
Anyway, I would like to see some legal action against my country on this matter because it has violated human rights and dignity of its citizens.
I am not Albanian. I just hate injustice.

Anonymous said...

Hello Tina,
Une jam Prele Sinishtaj. Pa le te shohim se si kupton shqip, se ti me sulmove se une nuk kuptoj anglisht.Eshte e vertete se une kam mesue ketu Anglisht, por sigurisht tue marr parasysh se flas Shqip, Anglisht, Serbo-Kroatisht dhe marr vesh edhe dy tri gjuhe tjera, prap se prap kam perparesi ndaj teje, qe besoj se vetem flet Anglisht, dhe kjo falas se ke lind ketu ne kete shtet. Pra, duhet te jesh konstruktive, se akoma ne arenen shqiptare nuk je spikat as ke dhan gja deri tash, me se dij une!
Prandaj vetem me shkrime nuk do te arrihen dhe realizohen aspiratat tona.
Prandaj prej sot me mire eshte te perpiqesh te kontribosh dicka ne cka ke mundesi, e jo vetem te zihesh nepermes internetit dhe te ofendosh njerezit qellim mire, te cilet kan be shume me shume se ti ne kete sfere dhe kan sakrfikuar shume, jo vec dollare por edhe jeten e vet.
Prandaj, eshte me mire qe si sdudente apo cgfare je, te gjejsh fushen ne te cilen mundesh te kontribosh se sa te na ofendosh djathtas e masjtas sipas qejfit dhe t'u dregosh tjereve se gjoja vetem ti ke te drejt e askush tjeter. Merre kete keshill dhe meso se njerezit jan te lire te besojne ate qe ata mednojne se kan te drejt, megjithese ndoshta e kan gabim. Pra, qetesohu pak dhe merre ma me ngadale.
Mire u ndegjofshim..Prele Sinishtj..New York

Anonymous said...

Although Montenegro is not a member-state, the COE has set conditions for it to adide by, such as those stipulated on the report by GRECO.

The objective here is to set the economic, social, political conditions for which Montenegro must adhere to prior to (eventually) becoming a member.

In the interim, citizens/member groups of the state, or MPs in this case (ie. Sinishtaj), can petition the COE in an effort to highlight ineptness in standards of development/transition to democracy -- one undoubtedly being minority rights. As an MP that has been discriminated against (as he has always advocated), his post may exert influence, esp. in the international realm.

Just thoughts...