Trial of police officers Petar Lazović and Jugoslav Raičević postponed to March 10th

The trial of police officers Petar Lazović and Jugoslav Raičević, accused of abusing Milo Jovanović from Skalja, has been postponed to March 10th.

Video: Boris Pejović

This decision was made at the request of Lazović's defense, because one of his defense attorneys, Borivoje Borović, cannot act due to the decision of the Serbian Bar Association to suspend his work.

"There are three of us in this case, and as colleagues we have agreed who will prepare which segment of the defense. That is why I would like the hearing to be postponed, and we will agree in the future who among us will present which part of the defense. If the decision of the Serbian Constitutional Court is extended, we will agree to provide a defense so that the process does not suffer," said Lazović's defense attorney, attorney Marko Radović.

Lazović said that he agreed with his defense attorney's request.

"I understand why my defense attorney is requesting a postponement and I ask the court to grant the request, because I would like to be defended by attorney Borović. Maja Zeković is no longer my defense attorney," he said.

Defendant Raičević, whose defense attorneys Dalibor Kavarić and Miloš Vuksanović did not attend the hearing, said that he had not "seen them with his own eyes" for 15 days.

"I have information that my defense attorney was at UIKS yesterday, but the officers did not bring me in. I do not know the reason why they did not take me to see them, but I need them when presenting my defense," he said.

The injured party's representative, attorney Damir Lekić, said that he did not oppose the request, because he had also submitted a written request to the court to postpone the hearing.

"Because I was recently authorized by Milo Jovanović to represent him in these proceedings. I have not yet had the opportunity to inspect and copy the files, which is necessary for my preparation," he said.

Prosecutor Biljana Pavličić said that, considering all of the above, she is not opposed to today's hearing being postponed.

Judge Ilija Radulović postponed today's hearing and warned the lawyers that the proceedings he is leading will not be delayed due to the strike of their colleagues from Serbia.

On December 16, the president of the pre-trial criminal chamber of the Basic Court in Podgorica confirmed the indictment of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, which was filed against Petar Lazović and Jugoslav Raičević for the torture of Jovan Mrvaljević and against Lazović for the torture of Milo Jovanović.