Beranac arrested for erecting a monument to Pavle Đurišić, ordered to be detained

The Police Directorate arrested Vujadin Dobrašinović (59) from Berane and filed a criminal complaint for the criminal offense of injury and unauthorized erection of a memorial. After questioning by the prosecutor, he was ordered to be detained for up to 72 hours.

"Vijesti" was told earlier today by the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Berane that they had formed a case regarding the installation of a memorial to Pavle Đurišić in the village of Gornje Zaostro, within which, as they said, reconnaissance activities are being conducted.

"After a hearing at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Berane, a detention of up to 72 hours was ordered for one person (VD), suspected of the criminal offense of injury and unauthorized erection of a memorial in complicity under Article 411a in connection with Article 23 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro. On August 07.08.2025, XNUMX, in the early morning hours, in the village of Gornje Zaostro, Berane Municipality, together with unidentified persons, erected a memorial to Pavle Đurišić, the erection of which is not permitted. The investigation in this case is ongoing," the Berane ODT officially announced tonight.

The prosecutor's office said earlier today that they had also issued binding instructions to authorized police officers of the Security Department in Berane to take certain actions and collect information.

The Police Department issued an official statement, saying that the monument was illegally placed on "a plot owned by VD."

They also announced that they were informed by the Ministry of Culture and Media that the competent inspector for cultural property would issue an appropriate decision to implement specific legal measures and actions regarding the illegal erection of memorials.

"This morning, officers of the Police Directorate took measures and actions within their jurisdiction and identified the person VD (59) from Berane, who was then, after the facts were established, deprived of his liberty by order of the prosecutor. Namely, officers of the Police Directorate had previously come to operational knowledge that a memorial to Pavle Đurišić had been illegally erected in the town of Gornje Zaostro, on a plot owned by VD. Police officers of the Berane Security Department immediately went to the scene, where they took specific forensic measures and actions and made a photo report, after which they promptly informed the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Berane and the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje about the situation, as well as the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Secretariat for Culture of the Municipality of Berane, in order to take actions within their jurisdiction," the statement reads.

Police officers, upon authorization from the prosecutor at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Berane, conducted an on-site investigation, while an inspector from the Ministry of Culture and Media, in the presence of police officers, conducted an inspection, of which he made a report.

"After implementing measures and actions based on which the competent state prosecutor assessed that this was a criminal offense for which prosecution is being undertaken ex officio, the police deprived VD of his liberty on suspicion that he had committed a criminal offense under Article 411a of the Criminal Code of Montenegro - violation and unauthorized erection of a memorial," they announced.

They say that in the process leading up to filing a criminal complaint, the police collected information from several people and searched the apartment and other premises used by the suspect.

"The suspect, along with a criminal report, will be taken to the Basic State Prosecutor's Office for further jurisdiction within the legal deadline, while, as the Police Directorate was informed by the Ministry of Culture and Media, the competent inspector for cultural property will issue an appropriate decision for the implementation of specific legal measures and actions regarding the illegal erection of the memorial. Police Directorate officers continue to take other measures and actions regarding this event," the statement reads.