None of us used a knife, witnesses claimed yesterday before the Basic Court in Podgorica, speaking about the incident in front of the "Komanka" bar in Zabjelo, which led to protest marches in Podgorica at the end of October last year and the government's decision to temporarily introduce visas for Turkish citizens.
According to the indictment, the incident occurred on October 26, 2025, on 27 March Street in Zabjelo. The indictment states that, after a brief argument, a physical altercation occurred in which Marko Jacimovic slightly injured. Azerbaijani citizens are accused of the attack Elchin Musayev i Jalal Musayev.
Initial reports indicated that the perpetrators of the incident were Turkish citizens, which sparked a stormy public reaction, leading to protest marches and gatherings in Podgorica, where derogatory slogans against Turks could be heard. The government then introduced visas for Turkish citizens, and in the days that followed, attacks and destruction of property belonging to Turkish citizens were recorded, for which, according to the Police Directorate, more than 17 people were prosecuted. Visas for Turkish citizens were subsequently revoked...
None of the witnesses at yesterday's hearing were able to describe the event precisely, but all insisted on sticking to the statement given to the prosecutor, after which the judge dismissed them. Borko Lončar and read...
A witness Luka Petrović In his statement to the prosecutor, he stated that he was in the garden of the "Komanka" pub with Jaćimović that evening, Mirko Dragojević i Matija Bukilić, after the facility closed. He said that at one point he heard a commotion and saw several people attacking Jaćimović, stating that they were hitting and stabbing him.
Petrović stated that he then took bottles and a chair and shot at the attackers, in order to defend his friend. In his statement, he said that the attackers were foreign nationals, that there were three or four of them and that they were shouting “problem, problem”. He described that two of them were “on Marko” and that they had knives, as well as a third person with a cap who approached the garden of the bar with a knife in his hand. He stated that he saw one person stabbing Jaćimović in the leg and biceps.
Petrović said yesterday that no one from their group, including him, used a knife... He said that he did not see any injuries on foreign citizens and that he did not hear that Jaćimović threw things at the attackers.
After looking at the defendants, he said that these were the two people he had testified about, stating that Džalal was the person who attacked Jaćimović with a knife, while Elčin attacked with his hands and feet.
And the witness Matija Bukilić He said that he stood by his statement given to the prosecutor. At the time, he said that he and his friends were sitting in the garden of the bar when a group of seven or eight foreign nationals walked past them and shouted at them in a foreign language. He said that they did not react, but that after they stood up, the individuals took out knives and that one of them started towards Jaćimović.
He stated that he saw three knives and that he, Petrović and Dragojević ran away when a person walked towards them. Yesterday he said that he did not consume alcohol or illegal substances that evening and that no one from their group used a knife...
“JAĆIMOVIĆ PUSHED AWAY AND HITTED”
A witness Mirko Dragojevic He stated that he stood by his statement given to the prosecutor, in which he stated that they were at “Komanka” that evening, that a group of foreign nationals passed by the garden and shouted and gesticulated at them. He said that Jaćimović stood up and said “no problem”, after which he was pushed away and hit.
He said that he saw one person lift his shirt and take out a large knife from under his belt, and that they hit Jaćimović while he was on the ground. He also said that one person stabbed Jaćimović in the buttocks, while the person with the knife moved towards them several times to prevent them from approaching. He also said yesterday that no one from their group used a knife and that he did not notice any injuries on the foreign nationals. After looking at the defendants, he said that he recognized Džalal as the person he had previously described as the one with the large knife.
He also testified Daniel Brajovic who also maintained his statement given to the prosecutor. In that statement, he stated that he was driving along 27 March Street and saw a person lying on the ground in front of “Komanka”, while two or three people were hitting him. He said that he did not stop because bottles were flying in that direction, but that later, in the parking lot of a nearby gas station, he found the injured Jaćimović hiding between cars and took him to the Emergency Center.
He stated that he was struck by an older person with a gray beard and that he noticed a knife on one of the attackers, “as if through a fog.” Yesterday, he said that he recognized Jalal as the face he had described earlier, but that he could not say with complete certainty.
17 people prosecuted after attacks and destruction of property of Turkish citizens
The statement was also read. Rahim Sulejmani, in which he stated that he was with Elchin and Jalal Musayev that evening and To Afghan Shirinov, that he was moving behind them and that, when he saw that a fight had broken out with unknown persons, he headed back towards the accommodation. He stated that he later saw Elcin, Jalal and Afgan running towards the gas station.
Sulejmani stated that he did not see that they had knives in their hands, but that, after reviewing the video, he said that the video shows Elchin Musayev holding a knife...
The court rejected the defense's proposals.
At yesterday's hearing, the court rejected the defense's proposal to record the trial, explaining that there were no technical possibilities for this and that insisting on recording would lead to unnecessary delays in the proceedings, given that all important actions are recorded in the minutes.
The objection of defense attorney Mitar Šušić, which requested the provision of functional simultaneous translation of all statements and procedural actions, as well as the proposal to verify the competencies of the hired interpreter or to hire another translator, was also rejected.
The court stated that the hired interpreter is sworn and regularly cooperates with the competent authorities, and that there is no translator for the Azerbaijani language on the official list of court interpreters, which is why this is the only way to enable the defendants to follow the trial in a language they understand.
The court also rejected the objection relating to the minutes of the hearing of 13 December 2025, in the part concerning the method of translation and the claim that the interpreter did not translate the statement of the injured party. As stated, after the injured party's testimony, the court called on the interpreter to translate, which was noted in the minutes of 30 December 2025, and during the proceedings the defendants did not indicate any misunderstanding or problems in communication with the interpreter.
Bonus video:
