Trial for coup d'état in Montenegro begins

The beginning of the main hearing and the presentation of evidence in the "coup d'état" case at the High Court in Podgorica was marked by the first testimony of the accused, retired commander of the Serbian Gendarmerie, Bratislav Dikić, the expulsion of part of the audience, including officials of the opposition Democratic Front, from the courtroom, and the fining of two defense attorneys, Radio Free Europe reports, as stated by the Patria agency.

For almost five hours, the accused Bratislav Dikić presented his defense, in which he denied the allegations in the indictment that accuse him of being one of the organizers of the attempted conspiracy and the execution of terrorist activities with political motives in Montenegro during the parliamentary elections in October last year. The retired commander of the Serbian Gendarmerie denied the allegations in the indictment that he was preparing an attack on the Parliament of Montenegro on October 16 last year:

"I have heard the indictment of special prosecutor Saša Čađenović, it is unfounded and simply fabricated. The part of the indictment that accuses me is unfounded and the biggest fairy tale. I sincerely hope that the author of this fairy tale will answer before you, before this court."

Dikić, explaining his role, stated among other things that he came to Montenegro those days to visit the Ostrog monastery due to illness, that he does not know any of the other accused, and that shortly before arriving in Montenegro, he only met the current cooperating witness Saša Sinđelić. Dikić did not dispute that he participated in some actions mentioned in the indictment, but denied participating in the preparation of terrorist attacks and the attack on the Parliament.

"I cannot accept that I am a member of some criminal organization, which I have never been. I cannot accept that I knew there was some criminal plan, which I did not know. I cannot accept that I knew there were some Russians as organizers. I cannot accept that I knew anyone from the Democratic Front, as I have never known or know anyone from that political organization. I cannot accept that I was supposed to attack the Parliament of Montenegro with some people unknown to me," said Dikić, who asked Judge Suzana Mugoša to provide him with more favorable treatment in detention so that he could receive more effective treatment.

Answering the questions of the chief special prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, Bratislav Dikić said that the special prosecutor offered him amnesty upon his arrest if he disavowed the group that was supposed to carry out the coup in Montenegro.

Dikić's testimony was preceded by the reading of the indictment. Special prosecutor Saša Čađenović stated, among other things, that the accused intended to provoke an armed conflict in Montenegro, with the motive being political, namely the overthrow of the then Government of Milo Đukanović and preventing Montenegro from joining the NATO alliance.

Before the trial began, one of the leaders of the Democratic Front, Milan Knežević, confirmed that he and his colleague Andrija Mandić would ask the court to return their travel documents so that they could "travel to Russia at the invitation of the Deputy Secretary General of United Russia, Sergey Zheleznyak".

The president of the panel of the High Court in Podgorica, Suzana Mugoša, fined two defense attorneys 500 euros each for speaking without permission. In addition, the judge ordered that part of the hall, from where mostly officials of the opposition Democratic Front were following the trial, be cleared. The reason, as the judge stated, was that they were laughing loudly and making comments, and the exit from the courtroom itself was accompanied by murmurs and disapproval.

The main hearing and the evidentiary procedure should reveal whether there was an attempt to carry out terrorist acts on the territory of Montenegro during the parliamentary elections on October 16, 2016, whether there was a conspiracy aimed at the violent overthrow of the government, the capture and liquidation of the then Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, and whether members of Russian intelligence and security services and part of the leaders of the opposition Democratic Front participated in these acts?

Fourteen people are accused, including two Russians, Democratic Front leaders Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević, their driver, as well as nine Serbian citizens. The state of Serbia refused to extradite Predrag Bogićević and Nemanja Ristić, accused of attempted terrorism. Russian citizens Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov are unavailable and will be tried in absentia. They are accused of being the organizers and financiers of attempted terrorist acts with political motives. The key cooperating witness on whose testimony the indictment is based, among other things, is Saša Sinđelić, a multiple offender of the most serious criminal offenses.

"Everything was done to acquire illegal power and profit, to violently overthrow the government and declare the electoral victory of the Democratic Front, and to prevent Montenegro from joining the NATO alliance. The actions of the criminal organization were planned with the application of precisely defined rules of internal control and discipline, planned and implemented on an international scale. Each member of the criminal organization had a predetermined task and role, and the actions of the criminal organization showed a readiness to use violence and intimidation," stated prosecutor Čađenović.