Mayor’s son gets suspended sentence for brutal attack on two journalists

Reporters Without Borders deplores the six-month suspended jail sentence that Miljan Mugosa, a son of Podgorica’s mayor and currently a foreign ministry employee, received from a Podgorica court on 23 July for a physical attack on Mihailo Jovovic, the editor of the daily Vijesti, and photographer Boris Pejovic in August 2009. “We regard the sentence as exceedingly lenient given the brutality of Mugosa’s attack and the position he held at the time,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The appeal court should impose an exemplary sentence in order to render justice to these two journalists. We will pay close attention to the way the appeal goes.” The case has taken three years to come to trial. In the attack that took place in Podgorica on 5 August 2009 (see the press release below), Mugosa hit Pejovic in the face and perforated Jovovic’s ear drum, which had to be operated on. Mayor Miomir Mugosa, who was present during the attack and who is held responsible by the two journalists, appeared in court during the trial but only to testify as witness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Journalists assaulted by capital’s mayor, son and bodyguard 7 août 2009 Reporters Without Borders condemns a physical attack on Mihailo Jovovic, the editor of the daily Vijesti, and photographer Boris Pejovic on 5 August in Podgorica by the city’s mayor, Miomir Mugosa, his son Miljan and one of his bodyguards. Pejovic was hit by the mayor’s son, sustaining an injury to the face, as he was photographing the mayor getting into a badly-parked car outside a café owned by the son. Jovovic was attacked and beaten, sustaining bruises and a cut to the ear, when he tried to prevent the mayor from hitting Pejovic. “We are surprised by this violent behaviour, which is incompatible with a public office,” Reporters Without Borders said. “By acting in this manner, the mayor is encouraging others to think violence against the press if legitimate. If he really thought he was being followed or threatened, as he claims, he should have alerted the police, who could have intervened and reassured him that the two men were journalists.” The press freedom organisation added: “As a mayor, Mugosa is a government official and journalists must be able to follow his movements in public without being exposed to any form of violence. We welcome the fact that the police are investigating the actions of the mayor’s son but we think the mayor’s conduct should also be investigated.” In a press release yesterday, the mayor denied deliberately attacking the two journalists and said he thought he was being followed by two men seen hiding behind bushes. Claiming he felt he was being attacked and therefore had a right to defend himself, he said he stood by his actions.