Miljković and Belivuk requested to watch the trial before the Podgorica court via video link, the judge refused

Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković, who are among the defendants in the case of the murders of Damir Hodžić and Adis Spahić and the kidnapping of Milo Radulović, have requested that they be allowed to follow the trial before the Podgorica Higher Court via video link.

Their defense attorneys announced at today's hearing that the defendants want to be included in the proceedings live, via video link, because they are in custody in Serbia.

Belivuk and Miljković, who are accused in Serbia of being organizers of a criminal group known as the Velja Nevolja clan, are charged in Montenegro with being part of a criminal organization linked to the murders of Hodžić and Spahić and the kidnapping of Radulović, nicknamed Kapetan, in October 2020.

Lawyer Nikola Laković, defense attorney for Marko Miljković, said that there are no longer any conditions for his client to be tried in absentia. He recalled that Miljković had previously been included in the proceedings via video link during the indictment review, stating that he was available to the Montenegrin authorities and the court.

Lawyer Bojana Leković, Veljko Belivuk's defense attorney, also addressed the court with the same request. She said that she had made contact with Belivuk during a visit to the prison and announced that she would address the request to the Criminal Chamber of the Higher Court in Podgorica, the president of that court, and the Supreme Court.

Leković raised the issue of the fact that, as she stated, in some cases, defendants are allowed to participate in the proceedings via video link, while in this case such a request was not accepted.

The president of the panel, Judge Nikola Boričić, rejected the defense's proposal, explaining that it was not within the jurisdiction of the trial panel to decide on the matter. Miljković's defense counsel was also instructed to address the request to the Criminal Panel of the Higher Court.

The proceedings are being conducted before the panel of Judge Boričić, whose members are Judges Veljko Radovanović and Ivan Perović. The indictment is represented by Special Prosecutor Zoran Vučinić.

In addition to Radoje Zvicer, Veljko Belivuk, Marko Miljković, Slobodan Kašćelan, Bojan Bešović and Mersudin Čolaković, the indictment also includes Radoje Živković, Milan Vujotic, Dragan Knežević, Ratko Živković, Nebojša Janković, Stevan Kraljević, Nenad Kaluđerović, Darko Prelević, Davor Perović, Blagoje Gašić, Dejan Gašić, Nikša Perović, Miloš Radonjić, Vladimir Vučković, Petar Đurović, Rade Garović, Marko Kilibarda, Aleksandar Paunović, Nikola Spasojević, Radovan Mujović, Milan Knežević, Aleksandar Dragićević, Zoran Kažić, Aleksandar Ljumović and Borko Besović.

According to the indictment, Zvicer, as the organizer of the criminal group, ordered the search, abduction and murder of members of the opposing criminal organization, Milo Radulović and Damir Hodžić.

The prosecution claims that Hodžić and Adis Spahić were killed on October 14, 2020 in Spuž, while Radulović, known as Kapetan, was taken towards Kotor after the kidnapping.

According to the indictment, Hodžić was driven to Stanjevića Rup by Spahić, who was killed the same day. Investigators claim that some of the accused exchanged information about targets via the "Sky" application, while some members of the group allegedly illegally entered Montenegro through the territory of Rožaje.

The SDT charges Belivuk and Miljković with participating, together with other defendants, in an attack on a house in Spuž, after which Hodžić was killed, Spahić was executed, and Radulović was taken to a house in the town of Sutvara near Kotor.

The defendants had previously pleaded not guilty during the proceedings.