Milan Dušić, one of the accused for attempted terrorism in Montenegro on the day of parliamentary elections in October 2016, did not appear at today's trial, because he arrived at the Dubrakovo border crossing without an identity document and therefore could not cross the border.
Due to the non-appearance of Dušić, the special panel chaired by judge Zoran Radović postponed the trial in the procedure better known as the "coup d'état" in the High Court in Podgorica today.
Earlier it was announced that Dušić and Srboljub Đorđević were sentenced to one and a half years in prison by the annulled verdict, Dragan Maksić was also sentenced to one year and nine months in prison by the same decision, Branka Milić to three years in prison, while Kristina Hristić was given a suspended sentence.
At today's trial, Judge Radović allowed a break of half an hour, so that someone present could try to get in touch with Dušić and check whether he crossed the border.
In the meantime, the accused Đorđević announced that he had established contact with his wife:
"She managed to contact Dušić and learned from him that he could not cross the border because he had lost his identity card, or had forgotten it at home."
Judge Radović pointed out at the trial that Dušić will leave for Montenegro tonight, and that, as he stated, he will arrive at tomorrow's main trial.
The news previously announced that the then-leaders of the Democratic Front (DF) Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević were each sentenced to five years in prison by the annulled verdict for participation in a criminal organization, for, as it is written in the indictment, membership in a criminal organization since February 2016. .
Radović repeated at today's trial that Mandić and Knežević cannot attend the trial until, as he stated, the end of the evidentiary proceedings.
The organizers of that group - Russians Eduard Šišmakov and Vladimir Popov - were sentenced to a total of 27 years in prison.
In addition to them, the former commander of the Serbian Gendarmerie, Bratislav Dikić, was sentenced to a single sentence of eight years, and Predrag Bogićević and Nemanja Ristić were sentenced to seven years in prison.
DF driver Mihailo Čađenović was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. The indictment states that the two Russians organized a criminal group and recruited other members for the purpose of gaining illegal profits and power, violently overthrowing the government and declaring the electoral victory of DF and preventing Montenegro from joining the NATO alliance. The criminal organization, it is stated, planned to, on the day of the parliamentary elections on October 16, 2016, with the help of the Democratic Front, clash with the Montenegrin police and forcefully occupy the Parliament of Montenegro, as well as to kidnap and kill the then prime minister and the current president of Montenegro. Milo Đukanović.
The trial continues tomorrow at eight o'clock.
Bonus video:
