Gorjanc Prelević: Abazović to ensure the legal operation of the MUP, to suspend the accused police officers

According to the non-governmental organization, HRA sent a letter of protest to the Minister of the Interior, Filip Adzić, three weeks ago, on March 6.

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Tea Gorjanc Prelevic, Photo: Luka Zeković
Tea Gorjanc Prelevic, Photo: Luka Zeković
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

The executive director of Action for Human Rights (HRA), Tea Gorjanc Prelević, sent a letter to Prime Minister Dritan Abazović to ensure the lawful operation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and to suspend the officers of the Police Directorate who were accused of extorting a statement from the victim Marko Boljević with severe violence.

HRA, they remind in the announcement, sent a letter of protest to the Minister of the Interior, Filip Adzić, three weeks ago, on March 6.

"Since July of last year, he has not suspended the police inspectors accused of extorting statements. This has led, among other things, to one of them appearing twice in the media as a spokesperson for the Police Administration," said Gorjanc Prelevic.

She claims that Adžić has not responded to that letter until today, and that some of the defendants were seen in an official vehicle on the streets of Podgorica on Friday.

"Mandatory suspension of accused police officers for work-related criminal offenses is required by the Law on Internal Affairs, as well as international human rights standards," the statement reads.

Gorjanc Prelevic reminded that in 2014 and 2022, the UN Committee against Torture expressly demanded from Montenegro that all officials under investigation for acts of abuse be removed from duty immediately and during the entire duration of the criminal proceedings.

According to her, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) continuously requires the Montenegrin authorities to send a message of zero tolerance to torture from the highest level.

He also believes that Adžić, by not acting in that case, is sending "a completely opposite message".

"On May 16, 2022, by the Decision of the Basic Court in Podgorica Quo. No. 22/22, the indictment against five inspectors of the Podgorica Security Center, Danilo Grbović, Dalibor Ljekočević, Bojan Vujačić, Ivan Peruničić and Nemanja Vujošević, was confirmed for the criminal offense of extorting testimony from Article 166 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro to the detriment of Marko Boljević," the announcement reads.

He recalls that Boljević said that the police forced him to accuse Benjamin Mugoša and Jovan Grujičić of planting explosives by torturing him with electric shockers in the genital area and thighs, hitting him with boxing gloves, baseball bats and hands in the upper part of his body and on the soles of his feet. that they threatened to kill him and put a gun to his head, and that they threatened to kill his family and girlfriend.

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