Hateful Attacks on 3 LGBTs in Montenegro’s City Center

Centre for CivicEducation (CCE) and LGBT Forum Progress strongly condemn this morning’s brutal attack on Danilo Marunovic, Todor Vujoševic and Mirko Boskovic. We require from the authorities to confirm legal purpose of the criminal sanctions in this particular case and to provide LGBT community and all persons, which through their work suport equality in Montenegro, life that they can live in safety and dignity.

 

In the night of 9 and 10 September 2012, at Novaka Miloševa Street in Podgorica, Danilo Marunovic, Todor Vujosevic and Mirko Boskovic were brutally beaten by a group of the sport fans named “Varvari” (Barbarians). On that occasion, they were returning from a concert held at the Festival Main Street Art, organized within the Podgorica Cultural Summer, in the street in front of the music school "Vaso Pavic" and Blues bar. Marunovic is the director of the video "We are a part of the team"*, Vujosevic is actor in the same video, while Boskovic, their friend, is journalist at RTCG.

 

During the concert "Varvari", who had their own post at that venue, addressed them with seires of defamatory words and slenders. They also set fire the torch near the head of Vujosević. In their case, it caused a feeling of anxiety, but with the silence and absence of negative reactions they did everything to avoid conflict and incident.

 

It is questionable if all security measures, necessary for the safety of audience at the concerts, were taken in accordance with the law. Namely, at the spot there were no members of the security or police officers. Their presense and application of official actions, in line with the law, could have preventive effect and stop later brutal beating of three young men, by the same persons belonging to the "Varvari" group, who were present at the concert through the engagement of the their post, since the three of them were under their constant threats and pressure.

 

After midnight, upon the end of the concert, Marunovic, Vujosevic and Boskovic went to the city square. On that occasion, at Novaka Miloseva street, they were brutally attacked by the group of ”Varvari”. Boskovic, Marunovic and Vujosevic were beaten with fists and legs. Once they were knocked to the ground beating continued, mostly with legs. During the beating they cursed them and said that they will kill them and all the gays. When they saw Boskovic lying on the ground and severely bleeding they quickly drifted away, by running in rapid walk to the square, through a nearby parking. Already injured Marunovic, Vujosevic and Boskovic managed to call a taxi and reach the Emergency Centre.  From there the police was called. In the Emergency Centre, they were identified serious body injuries, whose detail examination is still in progress.

 

 

 

LGBT Forum Progress and CCE assess this as the case that represents violence motivated by hate. The only guilty of victims is that they tried to contribute to the development of a culture of tolerance. This violence sends a message of uncertainty to the LGBT community, as well as to all persons who support human rights in Montenegro and professionally are in contact with LGBT community. Therefore, we expect an effective conduct of all actions that would lead to the resolving of this incident and prosecution of all offenders of criminal acts.

 

Today, LGBT Forum Progress filed a charge to the Basic State Prosecutor in Podgorica against at least four, for now, unknown persons from “Varvari” group and an accomplice, with known identity, becaouse of reasonable suspicion that they committed several crimes - exposure to danger, injury, violation of equality and security threats.

 

 

LGBT Forum Progres

E-mail: info@lgbtprogres.me

Web: www.lgbtprogres.me

 

 

* Video is produced within the joint project of the CCE and LGBT Forum Progress “It is OK to be different”.