The Court of Appeal of Kosovo confirmed the decision of the Basic Court, by which three Montenegrin citizens, who went to the Visoki Dečani monastery with the signs "Kosovo is Serbia", were ordered to be detained for 30 days, Koha reported, and the KoSSev portal reports.
Two soldiers of the Army of Montenegro, Rajko Krivokapić and Dragutin Lalatović and another Montenegrin citizen Marinko Jovanović, have been in custody since November 24 because they had plates with the inscription "Kosovo is Serbia" on their vehicle in the center of Dečan.
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Three people from Nikšić were arrested on November 24, after celebrating the holiday in the Visoki Dečani monastery, because of the inscription "Kosovo is Serbia" on their car, i.e. the license plate frame.
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On the same day, they were sentenced to a 48-hour detention, and then a 30-day detention measure, with the charge of the criminal offense of inciting hatred and intolerance.
The lawyer of one of them, Jovana Filipović, said that this measure is too harsh, and that there is no basis for charging them with this criminal act.
At the same time, Filipović told KoSSev that the disputed inscription on the plate was actually covered with another tape, and that it is not known who took it off.
Immediately after the arrest, the Serbian list of convictions was announced, and after the detention measure was determined, there were negative reactions from Montenegro, i.e. the President of the Municipality of Nikšić, the MP of the United Montenegro, the President of the Parliament of Montenegro, and other politicians. The Diocese of Budimljansko-Nikšić SPC also requested the release of the arrested young men.
At the beginning of the month, Orthodox youth "Paths of joy in the land of the living" from Nikšić organized a protest in Podgorica in front of the Parliament of Montenegro.
Defense Minister Dragan Krapović announced a few days after the incident that two of the three arrested persons were members of the Army of Montenegro.
"I am familiar with the case that happened in Kosovo, like everyone else, primarily through the media. Both members of the Army of Montenegro who have been deprived of their freedom have been in the system for a long time - one since 2011 and the other since 2022. According to my knowledge and the evaluations of their elders, they are good and exemplary members of the Army of Montenegro", said Krapović earlier.
He then said that both members of the Army of Montenegro are on sick leave.
"When it comes to this case, nothing will be done 'over the knee', nor will anyone's head be 'taken off', if someone expects such treatment... In this, as in all other cases, it is necessary to establish all the relevant facts and the circumstances...", said the Minister of Defense at the time.
He also said that the arrested members of the Army of Montenegro in Kosovo did not commit any epochal violation or criminal act.
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