Podgorica, (MINA) - The Human Rights Action (HRA), the Center for Civic Education (CGO) and the Women’s Rights Center (CZP) have once again called on the Government to withdraw the Draft Law on the National Security Agency (ANB) from the parliamentary procedure and to allow space for professional and public discussion ahead the Parliament’s fall session. 

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Milojko Spajic, the NGOs stated that the proposed law poses a serious threat to the human rights of citizens, warning that it needs to be aligned with international human rights treaties to which Montenegro has committed.

“Considering that Montenegro is in the process of EU accession and that the application of European standards and best practices in the field of human rights is one of the key membership requirements, we call on you to allow the European Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of the proposed legal provisions”, the letter says.

It is stated that the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy has been informed about the draft law and is urging the Government to postpone its adoption until her opinion is provided.

The NGOs welcomed the Government’s willingness to take the objections raised by the NGO sector into account to some extent and recalled that the Government adopted amendments to the draft ANB law in an electronic session.