GI "May 21": Three people were detained by the police because of T-shirts ordered by the CPC

Today, three people from Podgorica and Cetinje were detained for almost eight hours in the official premises of the Podgorica Security Center because of T-shirts with the image of Saint Peter of Cetinje, the production of which was ordered by the Montenegrin Orthodox Church (CPC), the Civic Initiative "May 21" announced.

Coordinator and member of the GI Council "21. May" Aleksandar Saša Zeković announced that the citizens were released and that nothing was charged against them, but that the vehicle and the T-shirts they were transporting were detained.

"The workers of the printing house were interrogated and the business documentation was checked in connection with this T-shirt business, which was completely in order," announced Zeković.

He previously appealed to the Police Directorate to release the three citizens without further delay.

"The Montenegrin Orthodox Church ordered the production of three thousand t-shirts with the image of St. Peter of Cetinje. On that occasion, the van that was headed to Podgorica to pick up the t-shirts was stopped at the exit from Cetinje, and as it had proper documentation for the official trip, it continued its journey towards Podgorica. After picking up T-shirts at the printing shop, the driver of the van was stopped by two patrol vehicles. Although he had proper documentation, he was deprived of his liberty, and then so were the owner and warehouseman of the printing shop. The owner of the van also gave a statement on this occasion to the official premises of the police, who He was not detained and there are no objections to the actions of the police," Zeković stated in an earlier statement.

GI "21. maj", he said, was informed by the families and colleagues of persons deprived of their liberty that they were treated professionally and that they had no objections to the treatment in the detention facilities.

Earlier today, Zeković asked the Police Administration to "return the confiscated t-shirts", indicating that the t-shirts with the image of Saint Peter of Cetinje "are not and cannot be a suitable means of committing a criminal offense or misdemeanor, so there is no reason to temporarily confiscate these items". .

He assessed that the goal of the police intervention was to implement politically motivated pressure and to "intimidate citizens who support the Montenegrin Orthodox Church" and the owners and staff of businesses that cooperate with that religious community and dissuade them from any future support and cooperation.

"Political and religious involvement and the right to publicly criticize the government cannot be treated as a criminal offense, and dealing with human rights is not and cannot be a hostile and anti-state activity," Zeković concluded.