Montenegro Opposition MPs Charged Over Chaos in Parliament

Three pro-Serbian opposition deputies, Andrija Mandic, Milan Knezevic and Milun Zogovic, were brought before prosecutors in Montenegro on Friday to be charged over an incident in the country's parliament before a vote on the new law on religion.

Parliament passed the controversial Freedom of Religious Law amid chaotic scenes on Friday, despite fierce objections from the Serbian Orthodox Church, its supporters and pro-Serbian opposition parties.

Trying to prevent the vote, MPs from the main opposition Democratic Front, DF, rushed at the Speaker of Parliament, some saying they were "ready to die" for the Church.

Police then intervened and detained the MPs, after which parliament passed the law. Police detained a total of 22 people over the incident, including all 18 DF deputies, 15 of whom were later released.

The police said on Friday they had placed the deputies in custody on the request of prosecutors.

"The prosecution ordered Zogovic to be arrested on suspicion of committing an official assault during his official duty, and Mandic and Knezevic are suspected of committing the criminal offence of preventing an official from doing their official duty," a police press release said.

At a press conference on Friday, Democratic Front MP Nebojsa Medojevic condemned the arrests and claimed a "coup" had been carried out in parliament. Together with other DF MPs, Medojevic visited the Podgorica primary court to ask about the detained deputies.

"Conflicts in parliaments are normally resolved by internal controls, but only in Montenegro with police and brutal arrests. A real coup was carried out yesterday," Medojevic told a press conference.

In the early hours of this morning, MPs from Montenegro's opposition...