Montenegro: Man Threatens and Hurls Abuse at Nataša Baranin
While in her car, the journalist was threatened and insulted
Location: Montenegro, Podgorica
Date: January 6, 2024
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom condemns the harassment of Television of Montenegro journalist Nataša Baranin. The editor was attacked in an alleyway while driving her car, threatened, and insulted. The abuse from the pedestrian escalated when they realized her profession. This behavior toward the journalist is unacceptable and should be immediately investigated by the police.
Nataša Baranin, the editor of the foreign news desk of Television of Montenegro (RTCG), faced a distressing assault while driving in the capital city of Podgorica.
On January 6, 2024, Baranin encountered a group of pedestrians occupying the middle of the street. Attempting to navigate through, she honked her horn, signaling for the pedestrians to clear the way for her vehicle's passage. Instead of a cooperative response, Baranin was met with hostility.
An unidentified person from the group approached her car, unleashing a torrent of threats and insults directed squarely at Baranin. What ensued was not merely rude but deeply misogynistic, targeting her both personally and professionally. Despite Baranin's attempts to defuse the situation by identifying herself as a journalist and warning of police involvement, the verbal assault persisted, escalating in intensity. The situation reached a peak when Baranin, in a bid to gather evidence, expressed her intent to photograph the perpetrator. The assailant continued to hurl insults.
Baranin reported the incident to the police, providing photographic evidence of the scene to support her account of the attack.
This disturbing incident is not an isolated one. CFWIJ has documented a series of similar incidents in recent months, indicating a troubling pattern of threats and intimidation faced by women journalists in Montenegro. In December 2023, Danica Nikolić, chief editor of M portal, along with her journalist colleagues, disclosed receiving reprehensible rape threats, underscoring the pervasive nature of the issue. Nikolić, in response, criticized the lack of action from authorities in addressing reported threats against journalists.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the verbal attack on Nataša Baranin and stands in solidarity with her and all journalists facing threats and intimidation. We urge the Montenegrin authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, ensure the safety of Nataša Baranin, and hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.