During the unrest in Montenegro, 41 people were detained and 9 officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were injured, reported the country’s police department.
On Wednesday and Thursday night riotous protests took place in several Montenegrin cities. Police used force and special means, including tear gas. The opposition and public figures accused law enforcement agencies of excessive use of brute force, backed up by videotapes.
“Due to incidents in Montenegro, 54 persons will be held criminally and administratively liable. Yesterday, citizens gathered without applying for mass events in Budva, Podgorica, Bar, Niksic, Plevlje, Beran and Bijelje Polje and provoked incidents in those municipalities. The citizens also tried to block the highway Beranes-Bielom Polje,” said the law enforcement agency.
“Citizens showed a high degree of aggression towards the police and threatened public order and peace, as well as the security of the movement. Police were brutally attacked by the protesters, who threw stones, bottles, smoke bombs and other items at the officers”, – the Interior Ministry said.
According to the Montenegro Police Department, 41 out of 54 people were detained in the riots, and they will face criminal and administrative responsibility.
Former Interior Minister of Montenegro called on the West to respond to violence in the country
“During the incidents nine officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were injured and 10 service vehicles were damaged. Material damage was caused to the internal affairs buildings”, – the agency specified.
On Thursday night, former Interior Minister of Montenegro and leader of the United Montenegro party Goran Danilovic called on Western embassies and the EU mission to respond to human rights violations in clashes between police and protesting citizens.
Tensions in Montenegro began these days with Budva. Opposition authorities in the tourist capital of Montenegro have been under pressure from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) President Milo Djukanovic and its coalition partners since autumn 2019. In one of the hotels in Budva, DSS deputies held a “meeting” on June 11, joined by an independent deputy, which resulted in 17 votes out of 33 in the local representative body and elected the “new leadership” of the municipality. The current mayor did not recognize the results of the vote in the hotel.
On 17 June, the Special Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Montenegrin Police (SAJ) conducted a forceful action during which the Budva Mayor, Marco Tsarević of DS, the Chairman of the Assembly (Municipal Assembly), Krsto Radović of the Democratic Montenegro Party, and other members of the local opposition leadership, a total of 23 people, including members of the municipal police and city services, were detained. Tsarevic and Radovic were released on the same day.
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