N15.T2 – Vesna Medenica sentenced to one year and nine months in prison, Judge Vlahović-Milosavljević to six months
HRA NEWSLETTER 15 – TOPIC 2
In one of three criminal proceedings pending against her, former President of the Supreme Court of Montenegro Vesna Medenica was sentenced at first instance to one year and nine months in prison for abuse of office by incitement. Suspended Commercial Court judge Milica Vlahović-Milosavljević, whom Medenica incited, was sentenced to six months in prison for abuse of office.
The court considered the fact that neither defendant had been previously convicted as a mitigating circumstance, while the aggravating circumstance was that both held public office.
The first-instance judgment, in proceedings that restarted in June 2025, was rendered by High Court judge Branislav Leković. When delivering the verdict, as reported by Vijesti, he stated that it had been unquestionably proven that the defendants committed the criminal offence.
“Defendant Vesna Medenica repeatedly called defendant Vlahović-Milosavljević by telephone (…) and demanded that the Ten Corporation from Moscow be prevented from collecting 400,000 euros from the company Vin, owned by Rade Arsić, her godfather. Defendant Vlahović-Milosavljević issued a decision imposing a provisional measure, thereby preventing the mortgage creditor Ten from enforcing its claim through the sale of real estate,” Leković stated.
Special Prosecutor Vukas Radonjić told the media that the prosecution was satisfied with the conviction, but that the Special State Prosecutor’s Office would file an appeal, as it had requested a sentence of three years’ imprisonment for Medenica and one year for Vlahović-Milosavljević. He added that the proceedings were conducted professionally and without political interference.
It should be recalled that Vesna Medenica, who did not attend the pronouncement of the verdict, stated in her closing arguments in late November that politics had entered the courtroom and that there was an attempt to sacrifice her in order to obtain “European strings.” On the other hand, Milica Vlahović-Milosavljević criticised the position of the prosecution and stated that, due to such an approach, any final court decision could be treated as a potential criminal act.
Suspended judge Vlahović-Milosavljević was initially included in the indictment accusing Vesna Medenica and other defendants of being part of a criminal organisation allegedly organised by Medenica’s son, Miloš. However, in July 2023, the Podgorica High Court allowed the separation of these proceedings.
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