All conditions are now met for the start of the trial in the case commonly referred to as the “Tunnel.” The court has decided to try three Serbian nationals—Veljko Marković, Milan Marković, and Dejan Jovanović—in absentia, as they remain fugitives.
Among the defendants who will appear in court are Vladimir Erić from Loznica and several residents of Podgorica: Predrag Mirotić, Nikola Milačić, Katarina Baćović, and Marjan Vuljaj. They are charged with participation in a criminal organization and aggravated theft. Additionally, Baćović faces charges of document forgery, while Vuljaj is accused of assisting Baćović after the commission of a criminal offense.
The case centers around a tunnel that was dug in 2023 from a private apartment to the evidence storage facility of the High Court in Podgorica, resulting in the disappearance of various items of evidence. (Please consult Bulletin No. 2)
Parliament’s Constitutional Committee Interviews Candidates for Constitutional Court Judges
The Constitutional Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro has interviewed all candidates for the selection of two judges to the Constitutional Court. The candidates are as follows: Muhamed Đokaj, Milva Prelević, Zoran Vukićević, Marko Blagojević, Nenad Đorđević, Alija Beganović, Jovan Jovanović, Nerma Dobardžić, Sanja Maslenjak, Jovan Kojičić, Medina Mušović, Mirjana Radović, and Goran Velimirović.
These positions became available following the retirement of judges Milorad Gogić and Dragana Đuranović. Concurrently, a separate procedure is underway based on a public call by the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, to appoint a judge to replace Budimir Šćepanović, who continues to serve despite having reached the mandatory retirement age in May of last year.
The Constitutional Court currently operates with five out of the required seven judges.
Judge Desanka Lopičić has also reached the retirement age, but the Court has yet to make a decision regarding her status.
Judges of the Constitutional Court serve 12-year terms and are appointed and dismissed by the Parliament—two on the proposal of the President and five on the recommendation of the Constitutional Committee.
Supreme Court Issues Over 1,000 Judicial Disqualification Rulings in Four Years
The Supreme Court of Montenegro has issued a total of 1,006 rulings regarding the disqualification of judges over the past four years, including the first two months of 2025. Notably, half of these rulings were made in 2022, according to data obtained by the NGO Action for Social Justice (ASJ) under the Law on Free Access to Information.
The Court reported the following breakdown of disqualification rulings:
– **2021**: 101 rulings
– **2022**: 504 rulings
– **2023**: 131 rulings
– **2024**: 218 rulings
– **January/February 2025: 52 rulings
ASJ requested copies of all disqualification rulings, but the Supreme Court did not provide them. Consequently, the NGO has filed a complaint with the Agency for Personal Data Protection and Free Access to Information.
Basic Court in Žabljak Will Remain Open
Despite the initial proposal in the judicial network reorganization plan to close the Basic Court in Žabljak, the court will continue operating. Radoš Žugić, the President of the Municipality of Žabljak, announced that the court will function as a department of the Basic Court in Pljevlja.
Žugić made this announcement following a meeting with Minister of Justice Bojan Božović to discuss the court’s future.
“According to the Minister, judges from Pljevlja will serve in Žabljak until a local judge is appointed. A public call for this position is expected soon, once the reorganization plan is implemented,” Žugić stated on his Facebook page.
He also emphasized that all nine employees of the Basic Court in Žabljak will retain their positions, ensuring access to judicial services for all citizens.
Žabljak has been without a judge since October 2023, when Mihailo Anđelić, the then president and sole judge, retired. He had served alone following the retirement of Judge Milovan Jovković.
Judicial Council Continues to Fill Vacant Judge Positions
The Supreme Court of Montenegro has appointed a new judge, Ljiljana Šoškić, who previously served on the Administrative Court.
Furthermore, the Basic Courts in Podgorica, Kotor, and Danilovgrad have been reinforced with new judges. The Judicial Council has assigned the following judges to the Podgorica Basic Court: Jelena Đurović, Borislav Ivanović, Ina Hrković, Vladimir Piper, Nemanja Adamović, and Ana Žujović. Vukica Jakšić, Nina Bulajić, and Ksenija Baljević have been assigned to the Kotor court, while Zoran Dragović will serve at the Danilovgrad court.
Following a public call for the appointment of 14 judges in the northern region, the Council has selected Lidija Raičević, Rijalda Zejnelagić, and Samir Murić. They will undergo one year of training at the Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Center.
Additionally, Elza Adrović, Slavica Drašković, Ivana Ćurić, Ana Bulatović, and Dijana Mrdak have been chosen as candidates for misdemeanor court judges, and they will participate in a six-month training program.
New Heads Appointed to Bar and Kotor Prosecutor’s Offices
The Prosecutorial Council has appointed State Prosecutor Radovan Đurišić as the new Head of the Bar Prosecutor’s Office and State Prosecutor Tijana Čelanović as the new Head of the Kotor Prosecutor’s Office.
Additionally, the Council reviewed various complaints regarding the performance of state prosecutors and heads of state prosecutor’s offices. Of the complaints assessed, nine were found to be unfounded, two were upheld, two were partially upheld, and three were referred to higher prosecution offices for further review.
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