N10.BN – BRIEF NEWS

HRA NEWSLETTER 10 – BRIEF NEWS

POLICE OFFICERS TESTIFIED IN THE “TUNNEL” CASE

The trial of those accused of breaking into the Higher Court’s storage in Podgorica in 2023 continued on July 17 at the Podgorica Basic Court. Police officers who were present during the crime scene investigation testified.

First to testify was Tomo Femić, who explained that he had passed through the tunnel behind the caterpillar robot and that the tunnel had not been widened. His colleague Miro Drljević also testified, as well as retired police officer Đokica Braunović, who prepared the investigation report. He also stated that the tunnel had not been widened, meaning that no one could move anything in that area while the investigation was ongoing.

Defense attorney Stefan Jovanović objected to the testimonies of Braunović and Femić, stating that their claims do not match the statements of other police officers who said the tunnel was widened to allow the robot to pass through.

To remind, in January, the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the indictment against Montenegrin citizens — Predrag Mirotić, Katarina Baćović and Nikola Milačić — as well as Serbian citizens — Veljko Marković, Milan Marković, Dejan Jovanović and Vladimir Erić. They are accused of digging a 30-meter-long tunnel in July 2023 from the basement of a residential building to the storage of the Higher Court in Podgorica, which they entered on September 8. The storage contained evidentiary material related to ongoing or concluded cases at that court. Among the accused is Marijan Vuljaj, who allegedly helped Baćović hide.

Neither the motive nor the instigators behind the court break-in are known, but the investigation determined that weapons (19 pieces), several mobile phones, and a small quantity of drugs were stolen from the storage. These are evidentiary items from cases that were or are being handled by the Higher Court.

CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE HELD NO SESSIONS IN JULY, JUDGE APPOINTMENTS STILL PENDING

In July 2025, the Constitutional Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro did not hold any sessions, although a meeting was scheduled for July 4 to determine two candidates for the appointment of judges to the Constitutional Court. The session was canceled the day before, officially due to “emerging obligations and justified reasons of some committee members who would not be able to attend.”

However, according to the newspaper Vijesti, the real reason for the postponement was political — the session was delayed while waiting for the outcome of a meeting between the parliamentary majority and the opposition with the Head of the EU Delegation, Johan Satler. This meeting was planned to discuss the implementation of the Venice Commission’s opinion regarding the termination of the mandate of Constitutional Court judge Dragana Đuranović.

Satler has repeatedly publicly emphasized that he expects consistent implementation of the agreement between the government and the opposition, stressing that this is crucial for Montenegro’s European path.

Currently, the Constitutional Court has four judges, which jeopardizes its efficiency. The proposal for one candidate, submitted to Parliament by President Jakov Milatović, is under procedure but has not yet been placed on the agenda. It remains unknown when the Constitutional Committee will select the two candidates necessary to complete the Constitutional Court’s composition.

KATNIĆ DENIED CHARGES, ONCE AGAIN ACCUSES PROSECUTOR ŠOŠKIĆ

Former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić continued his defense in the Higher Court in Podgorica in the case where he is accused of being a member of a criminal organization allegedly formed by former Deputy Director of the Police Administration Zoran Lazović.

He stated that it is untrue that he protected the fugitive police officer Ljubo Milović and his colleague Petar Lazović, who are accused of being part of the criminal group led by Radoje Zvicer. Katnić claims that a serious investigation against Milović was secretly conducted and repeated his accusations that prosecutor Miloš Šoškić falsified evidence.

“Europol submitted documentation directly to Saša Čađenović, who was the acting prosecutor in that case, because that was agreed at a meeting at Europol headquarters. All this was also presented to prosecutor Šoškić, but he misrepresented it. He falsified my statement to make it appear that the case was assigned to Čađenović in order to protect suspects involved in criminal activities,” Katnić said, as reported by the portal Libertas Press.

He further accused prosecutor Šoškić of endangering his and his family’s safety by hiding evidence.

Milivoje Katnić, Zoran Lazović, and special prosecutor Saša Čađenović are on trial for, among other things, abusing official positions by allegedly working in the interest of the criminal clan led by Radoje Zvicer.

TRIAL AGAINST VESNA MEDENICA AND MILICA VLAHOVIĆ-MILOSAVLJEVIĆ RESTARTS

The trial at the Higher Court in Podgorica has restarted in the case involving former President of the Supreme Court Vesna Medenica and suspended Commercial Court judge Milica Vlahović-Milosavljević, who are accused of abuse of office. The case was reopened because the President of the Higher Court, Zoran Radović, reassigned the case from Judge Nada Rabrenović—who had been on long-term medical leave—to Judge Vesna Kovačević.

To recall, Medenica is suspected of inciting Vlahović-Milosavljević to make a ruling in favor of her godfather, Rado Arsić. However, the former head of Montenegro’s judiciary denied acting unlawfully or pressuring the Commercial Court judge in the case involving Arsić. She claims the process is politically motivated.

“We’re not in the realm of law, but politics. I was chosen—perhaps not by chance—as the first to be discredited by the media and then criminally prosecuted. The media discreditation has been persistent and brutal. It’s still ongoing. I am not guilty. I didn’t take any action to prompt Vlahović-Milosavljević to act illegally, threaten her, or offer any gain. Let someone step forward if I ever exerted pressure. While I was heading the Supreme Court, it was a temple of knowledge and the backbone of the legal system. This is pure revenge and hatred directed at me,” Medenica said in the courtroom of the Higher Court, according to Vijesti.

Suspended judge Milica Vlahović-Milosavljević also denied that she had unlawfully issued the decision which enabled the securing of a monetary claim in favor of Rade Arsić.

She stated that the decision she made was lawful and that it was confirmed as such by the second-instance panel of the Commercial Court.

Suspended judge Milica Vlahović-Milosavljević was initially included in the indictment in which Vesna Medenica and other defendants are accused of being part of a criminal organization allegedly organized by Medenica’s son, Miloš. However, in July 2023, the High Court in Podgorica approved the separation of those proceedings.

HIGHER SALARIES FOR JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN MONTENEGRO STILL PENDING

At the session of the Parliament of Montenegro held on July 31, amendments to the Law on the Judicial Council and Judges, the Law on the State Prosecutor’s Office, and the Law on the Constitutional Court were adopted, resulting in a 30% salary increase for judges and state prosecutors. These laws had been in parliamentary procedure for more than three months (since April).

On the other hand, constitutional amendments regarding the composition of the Judicial Council are still pending. These amendments propose that a majority of Council members be judges elected by other judges, and that the Minister of Justice no longer be a member of the Council. The Government harmonized these changes in April, but they have not yet been discussed in a parliamentary plenary session. The proposal was submitted to Parliament in early June, and so far, only the Constitutional Committee has completed its part by adopting the proposal on June 9.

JUDICIAL COUNCIL WILL STILL WAIT FOR A FULL COMPOSITION

The Committee on Political System, Judiciary and Administration did not confirm a candidate for the position of distinguished lawyer in the Judicial Council at its July 9 session. The only candidate, lawyer and former judge Kasim Dizdarević, did not receive the required number of votes. As a result, the committee will be required to issue a new public call to fill the vacant position.

The seat in the Judicial Council previously held by a distinguished lawyer became vacant on July 1, following the death of Fikret Kurgaš, the then-member.

HRA NEWSLETTER 10