The acquittal for all the accused in the "coup" case is a professional defeat for the Montenegrin judiciary, the Civic Initiative "May 21" said.
"The same first-instance court rejected the same evidentiary material and the same indictment as absolutely unfounded, in contrast to the diametrically opposite previous verdict. At the same time, it is a court-confirmed indictment from the same court, which was defended in the same way by both the former and the current SDT Finally, the Appellate Court, which overturned the first verdict, did not show an inclination to acquit or deny the entire indictment. So the entire process testifies to the professional disorganization within the acting courts the controversial case could not have an actual epilogue in the same court. Although it is still an invalid decision, the fact is that the acquittal raises a number of justified and reasonable doubts. Is the indictment equal to "fiction" on the part of Katnić and Novović's side. Is it about the same court and judges who should have a minimum of common ideas and knowledge about the work they are dealing with," the announcement states.
They asked how it is possible that in the same case the first panel considers the same evidentiary material to be absolutely indisputable and incriminating, that the multi-level panel cancels the verdict for other reasons, "so that the current panel would 'notice' everything that their previous colleagues could not 'see'".
"Even if we forget about a series of media, public, intelligence and political data, statements and facts that unequivocally speak of a conspiracy by the Russian authorities, it is devastating for the Montenegrin judiciary to make diametrically opposite decisions in such a case. And this does not least concern the accused persons and their eventual guilt or innocence primarily concerns the absence of elementary credibility of the Montenegrin prosecutor's office and the judiciary," the announcement concludes.
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