Businessman Zoran Ćoćo Bećirović, his son Luka Bećirović, and Mladen Mijatović were found guilty of the attack on "Pobjeda" journalist Ana Raičković.
Zoran Bećirović was sentenced today at the Basic Court in Podgorica to a year in prison, Mijatović to ten months in prison, and Luka Bećirović to seven months of suspended sentence.
Ljubiša Dukić was acquitted of the charges.
Zoran Bećirović and Mijatović's detention has been extended.
The defendants' defense attorney, attorney Danilo Mićović, announced that he would file an appeal.
Judge Radulović said that the detention of Bećirović and Mijatović was being extended for previously established reasons, namely Bećirović due to the risk of committing the criminal offense he is threatening to commit if he is released, and in relation to the defendant Mladen Mijatović due to the risk of repeating the criminal offense if he is released.
At today's hearing, while reading the verdict, the judge chronologically described the event that occurred on November 10th.
He said that when determining the length of the prison sentence, he determined that Bećirović and Mijatović persistently and for a long time violated Raičković's physical integrity, and thus, in the court's opinion, there was no room for imposing any other sentence than effective imprisonment.
Radulović said that when sentencing, he took into account that Ćoćo Bećirović had no previous convictions, that Mijatović was a family man with two minor children, and that Luka Bećirović was young and unconvicted, as well as that his actions were not directed at the journalist but at her vehicle.
"The court gave credence to the testimony of Ana Raičković, who, in relation to most of the events, presented in detail and clearly what happened on the critical occasion, and the testimony was essentially confirmed by reviewing the video recording. Her testimony was also confirmed by a video recording she made with her phone, from which the words the defendants said to her can be determined," the judge said.
Ćoće Bećirović's defense - that it was just a heated argument, that he did not insult Raičković, that it was just classic provocations, that they did not approach her or hit her - is completely refuted by the video footage reviewed, Radulović explained.
"As for the defendants' defenses - they presented things from their own perspective. What was interesting was that all four defendants presented the event in an identical manner, presenting only those actions that were important from their perspective as actions taken by the injured parties, while none of the defendants remembers in their defenses that they took any of the elements of the criminal offense they are charged with. The court certainly did not accept such defenses as true nor could it give them credence because it is obvious that these are defenses that were given calculated to ease their position in the criminal proceedings," Radulović pointed out.
That judge said that Ljubiša Dukić, unlike the others, calmed the situation down the entire time and acted protectively towards Ana Raičković.
"The behavior that Dukić displayed is positive and is expected of every citizen of Montenegro - everyone should behave in a way that will ensure that they do not endanger the mental or physical integrity of another person, if they can protect them, unlike the three defendants who showed through their actions that they had intent and committed the criminal offense they are charged with," said Radulović.
The Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) in Podgorica submitted an indictment to the Podgorica Basic Court against Zoran Bećirović, his son Luka, Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić, for the criminal offense of violent behavior on December 4th.
The indictment states that on November 10, 2024, in Blaža Jovanovića Street in Podgorica, the defendants physically attacked a journalist from the daily newspaper 'Pobjeda', AR, as well as the persons who were with her, UGi AT, causing them injuries and insulting them," the ODT announced. The ODT charged them with the criminal offense of violent behavior.
The prosecution also initiated proceedings against the journalist's son.
The judge said that the prosecution had also initiated proceedings against the son of journalist Uroš Gagović.
"After watching the recording, this court sent the case files to the prosecutor's office for the second time, and according to my information, criminal proceedings have been initiated against Uroš Gagović - I don't know what stage it is in, and in which it will be examined whether there are elements of a criminal offense in his actions."
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