Montenegro Drops Probe Into Journalist's Brutal Assault

Montenegro's prosecution on Monday closed the investigation into the attack on the journalist Tufik Softic who was assaulted outside his home in November 2007 and left with serious injuries.

The eight-year investigation was concluded with no results and no suspects indicted.

The prosecution, however, recommended that Softic initiate criminal proceedings himself within 30 days.

Media organizations and several NGOs expressed indignation and disappointment with the outcome.

They said the atmosphere of impunity in Montenegro concerning attacks on journalists was the biggest threat to media freedom.

Human Rights Action, HRA, an NGO, called the state of journalism in the country perilous in a report released on Monday.

 A member of the independent commission looking into flaws in the investigation of attacks on journalists, Mila Radulovic, told BIRN on Monday that the prosecution needed to invest further efforts in Softic's case and either provide evidence or to "punish those who had failed to do so.

"The tragicomedy is complete, as the information about the prosecution's decision was announced ahead of the international day against impunity of crimes against journalists, November 2," Radulovic said.

Softic was the victim of a brutal attack near his home in November 2007 when he was beaten up in front of his home in the northern town of Berane by two hooded assailants.

He was attacked following a series articles he wrote about the criminal underground and its ties with the local authorities in north of Montenegro. BIRN published some of Softic's work in 2007.

The journalist has been the victim of a several attacks in his home town in past years. On August 11, 2013, an explosive device...