Even after four months since the death of Armin Đutović (37), the circumstances under which the son of a Montenegrin citizen died after being arrested in the center of Ljubljana have not been clarified. The family accuses the Slovenian Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) of wanting to cover up those responsible for his death, and the SDT told "Vijesti" that the investigation has not yet been completed, so they are unable to provide more detailed information.
Đutović was arrested on December 8th last year in Čopova Street, in the center of Ljubljana. According to information available in the media, as there was no official statement, Armin allegedly hit a tourist, Adel Đutović, brother of the late Armin, told "Vijesti".
He states that during the police action, Armin lost consciousness.
"The police later claimed that there was a cardiac arrest. However, the medical records clearly show that Armin suffered severe hypoxic brain damage - a condition that occurs solely due to a lack of oxygen. In other words: Armin did not die of cardiac arrest, he was dying because he could not breathe," says Adel Đutović, pointing to the possibility of strangulation or suffocation during the police's actions.
After more than 10 minutes without oxygen, when the consequences were already catastrophic, Adel adds, Armin was transferred to the hospital, where he died three days later.
"No one informed the family. The police and the hospital were silent. After six hours of concern and unsuccessful phone calls, we went looking for him. Only then did we discover for ourselves that he was in a coma," explains Adel Đutović.
Šućo Đutović, Armin's father, a Montenegrin citizen born in Plav, claims that he is convinced that the truth about his son's death is being hidden.
"The family is looking for answers. We are looking for the truth - not revenge. We are looking for what happened to be told, for the footage to be shown, for the autopsy to be handed over and for it to be said who made the mistake and how. And for the state, which was responsible for Armin Đutović's safety, to finally speak up," said Šućo Đutović.
He recalls that Armin, a father of six, had mental health problems - psychosis for which medical help was sought - in 2024. On the day he was arrested, Armin's brother Adel informed the police before the incident that Armin had a health problem and that they should check what was going on if they could.
"My son may have been upset, maybe stressed, but to suffocate him in front of people, to deprive his brain of oxygen, to have no one answer, that is not a mistake. It is a system that kills and then remains silent. We will not remain silent. I will not remain silent. The whole world will know about this," says the eldest Đutović.
Adel Đutović considers the explanation of the Special State Prosecutor's Office of Slovenia, which says that this case is in the pre-trial procedure and that they are therefore unable to provide more information, to be scandalous.
"The Slovenian specialized state prosecutor's office claims that they only received the autopsies on April 9th and that the findings were 'insufficiently clear'. Even if that's the case, why hasn't the family known for four months why they lost their son and brother? Why are the videos being hidden? If they don't hide responsibility - why aren't they public," Adel asks.
He believes that the SDT is trying to conceal the fact that the autopsy and additional expert examination have been completed, and that the Institute of Forensic Medicine submitted the autopsy findings and the first expert opinion on March 28, 2025.
"The additional expert report was completed and submitted on April 14, 2025. The SDT had both documents in its possession no later than April 17, 2025, and at the time of submitting the response to Vijesti, the SDT had already had complete evidence for more than a week because the video recordings of the event were seized immediately. The institutions have admitted that there are four video recordings that cover the entire course of the event and these recordings have been in the possession of the prosecution since December 2024, and the family has not been given any insight," points out Adel Đutović, emphasizing that the response of the Specialized State Prosecutor's Office of Slovenia (SDT) to "Vijesti" dated April 25, 2025 is unacceptable, incomplete and represents another attempt at cover-up and delay.
The brother of the late Armin Đutović emphasizes that the SDT sent the family a written response stating that, according to their interpretation, they will not be informed about the progress of the investigation.
"It is not clear what law they are referring to, because we have a fundamental right to information about the death of a family member. Such behavior is contrary to the principles of the rule of law and respect for human rights. Their responses are solely the result of pressure. All responses from the SDT come exclusively after continuous legal requests, media pressure and public statements by the family. Without pressure, the case would have been completely covered up. If the family has to humbly demand the right to know why their Armin died under state supervision, then we are no longer talking about a state of law, but a state of silence and fear," believes Adel Đutović.
"They have everything. They have pictures, they have videos, they have opinions. And instead of telling the family the truth, they handed us a form that we have to fill out so that they can decide whether to allow the family access to documents that talk about the death of their son, brother, father. What kind of humiliation is that? Who are we if states decide whether we are allowed to find out why our children die during police interventions," Šućo Đutović is outraged, stating that the family has already initiated all legal mechanisms in Slovenia.
"If domestic institutions continue to conceal the truth, the family and the legal team will seek international assistance, involve European institutions and human rights organizations, and file a lawsuit before the European Court of Human Rights," says Armin Đutović's father, announcing that he is preparing a large protest in Ljubljana regarding this case.
Bonus video:
