Human Rights Action Protests Police Director’s Misrepresentation

Human Rights Action (HRA) has expressed strong objections following remarks made by Lazar Šćepanović, the acting director of the Police Administration, during a recent meeting of the parliamentary Committee for Security and Defence. HRA claims that Šćepanović inaccurately and out of context represented a discussion held with representatives of their organization, aiming to discredit HRA’s work and even suggesting a link to the “defense of criminals.”

In a statement, HRA emphasized its commitment to aligning proposed amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs with European standards. This alignment is intended to ensure that the existence of so-called “security impediments” is determined through fair and transparent disciplinary proceedings involving police officers. HRA argues that the current government proposal moves toward eliminating such procedures entirely.

During the same session, Šćepanović asserted that the amendments are already fully aligned with European standards and advocated for their immediate adoption without waiting for the opinion of the European Commission. HRA responded that this opinion is crucial for verifying compliance with EU legal standards, legality, and the protection of human rights, and that ignoring it undermines trust in the legislative process.

HRA particularly pointed out that Šćepanović misrepresented the content of a meeting he had three and a half months ago on September 13, 2025, with Teа Gorjаnc Prelević, HRA’s executive director, and Maja Raičević, executive director of the Centre for Women’s Rights. The topic of that meeting was not the Law on Internal Affairs but rather the security situation in Cetinje.

The public had already been informed about the discussions from that meeting through statements released by both parties. HRA criticized Šćepanović’s remarks as derogatory and noted that ongoing attempts to personally discredit representatives of civil society do not contribute positively to democratic culture or institutional accountability.

HRA expressed its expectation for a respectful, reasoned dialogue with civil society, especially regarding issues that directly impact citizens’ human rights, police integrity, and the country’s European Union accession. The organization concluded its statement by emphasizing the necessity of considering the European Commission’s opinions before enacting laws that significantly affect human rights.