Montenegro boosts protection for ex‑president amid assassination plot

Montenegrin authorities have announced increased protection for former President Milo Djukanovic. This is in connection with an alleged assassination plan against the former Montenegrin leader.

Last Saturday, Milo Djukanovic informed security services about a planned assassination attempt on his life. The daily "Vijesti," citing a person close to the former president, reported that "an organized criminal group from a neighboring country plans the assassination in cooperation with the security services of another neighboring country." The assassination plans were allegedly revealed by a high-ranking foreign military officer serving in Kosovo.

Former Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj wrote on the X platform that "Serbian criminals and members of paramilitary formations from northern Kosovo" are involved in the assassination attempt on Djukanovic. The politician added that the same individuals were involved in the attempted coup in 2016. This attempt aimed to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO, which the country did on June 5, 2017.

These events are connected, involving both Belgrade and Moscow, stated Hoxhaj.

According to Art. 18 of the Law on the President of Montenegro, Montenegrin authorities emphasize that after leaving office, the president is entitled to permanent personal protection based on a security assessment conducted by the National Security Agency.

On Friday, July 12, a Montenegrin court acquitted 13 people, including pro-Russian politicians and two Russian intelligence officers, in a retrial related to an alleged plot on the 2016 election day to overthrow the government and kill then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

In 2019, the accused were found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison. However, in 2021, the verdict was overturned on appeal, and a retrial was ordered.

The attempt to commit a crime or terrorism was not proven beyond reasonable doubt, ruled Judge Zoran Radovic of the Supreme Court of Montenegro on Friday, quoted by Reuters.

All defendants, including the current parliamentary speaker, Andrija Mandic, and a former Serbian police general, denied committing any crimes. Russia and Serbia also reject the allegations against them. The Democratic Party of Socialists, which ruled in 2016 and is now in opposition, stated that Friday's acquittal verdict is "shameful" and proves the "instrumentalization of the judiciary to serve the parliamentary majority."