The sentence given to Veselin Bajceta, deputy head of a human rights NGO in Croatia, for "obstructing police" after he attempted to prevent the dismantling of a stall gathering signatures for a petition on transparency in a privatisation deal was a suppression of a constitutionally-guaranteed right, Transparency International said in a statement on February 5 2009.

Bajceta, deputy head of MANS (Mreza za Afirmaciju NVO sektora, Transparency International's partner organisation in Croatia) was sentenced to a month in jail, convertible to a year's probation.

Transparency International said that since January 2006, MANS had sought transparency in the privatisation process of KAP, the largest national aluminium processor, which consumes almost half of the energy imported into Montenegro yet was not subjected
to a 71 per cent price hike affecting households and small businesses.

Parallel to this initiative, MANS organised a public petition against skyrocketing prices in Montenegro in 2007.

Transparency International said that the organisation's efforts had led to the collection of more than 30 000 signatures from citizens.

"While collecting signatures at the main square in Podgorica, a number of unidentified persons in civilian clothing attempted to remove the petition tables and papers into a nearby vehicle," Transparency International said.

When Bajceta attempted to stop them, "he was promptly arrested by the police and charged with preventing (them) from performing their public duty".

MANS said that it was to lodge an appeal in the Montenegro high court against the sentence.

"Petitioning the government is a fundamental right for all citizens," said Miklos Marschall, regional director for Europe and Central Asia at Transparency International.  

"If the authorities violated the law in suppressing a constitutionally-guaranteed right, they should face the consequences. If a law lends itself to be subjectively interpreted and selectively applied, it must be changed to comply with European norms."

Transparency International said that the constitution of Montenegro guarantees every citizen the right to organise a civic initiative or petition, and local legislation does not
require official permission to be obtained in order to organise public civic action.

"Depriving civil society of the right to speak freely, threatening and prosecuting them while, at the same time, showing zero political will to investigate and process high political and business figures for alleged grand corruption, clearly indicates that Montenegro is a long way from becoming the solid democratic society it must be as it seeks possible entry to the European Union," Transparency International said.