OSCE Mission to Montenegro signs Memorandum of Understanding with Supreme State Prosecutor’ Office to support Trial Monitoring Project

Dominique Waag, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and Maja Jovanović, Acting Supreme State Prosecutor, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 16 June 2022.

The Memorandum will further contribute to effective implementation of the ongoing three-year project “Supporting a More Effective Administration of Justice in Organised Crime and Corruption Cases through Trial Monitoring”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro. This is part of a regional project, also implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania, Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mission to Skopje and Mission in Kosovo.

Ambassador Waag explained that project monitors trials by observing court hearings and examining case files. The collected data is triangulated after consultations with judges and prosecutors. Currently 43 cases, which are primarily under the jurisdiction of the Special Prosecutor’s Office are being monitored.

“The project also includes media analysis, which examines how media reports ongoing cases and instances when independence of prosecution may be undermined. I hope that the findings and recommendations of the project will support a more effective administration of justice in organised crime and corruption cases, which can be of use not only to prosecutors, but also to other important players in the justice sector,” said Ambassador Waag.

Acting Supreme State Prosecutor Jovanović welcomed the signing of the Memorandum and pointed out that in this way the State Prosecutor’s Office shows that it is giving its full contribution to the project. At the same time, she thanked for the continuous support that the State Prosecutor’s Office receives from the OSCE Mission, pointing to the readiness of the Mission to support them by providing the professional equipment for the press room.

“In addition to press conferences, sessions of the Prosecutorial Council can also be held in that hall, with the possibility of live broadcasting. I am fully convinced that this would greatly contribute to increasing the transparency of the State Prosecutor’s organization,” said Jovanović, adding that they also need support from the Cadastre and State Property Administration, which should help them provide adequate premises.

Waag and Jovanović also discussed the ways to tackle hate speech and ongoing and future joint activities related to domestic and gender based violence, trafficking in human beings, protecting children from online exploitation and intelligence led policing.