Latest News from Montenegro
Thousands Rally Against Religion Law in Montenegro
While MPs in parliament in Montenegro debated the controversial religious law, many citizens, opposition supporters and Serbian Orthodox priests took to the streets to express anger over what they call a plan to steal the Serbian Orthodox Church's property in Montenegro.
Montenegrin Parliament Adopts Religion Law Amid Furious Protests
The Montenegrin 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.
Western Balkans Have Yet to Embrace Freedom of Information
Between January 2017 and June 2019, BIRN journalists submitted 854 official requests to access public documents in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. With the aid of the information gained from these requests, BIRN produced numerous investigative pieces and so exposed wrongdoing by governments, companies and powerful individuals.
"I have no right to interfere", "I will not respond to Amfilohije's provocations"
But, as he says, this is happening in the country where Djukanovic is president, which is why he has no right to interfere.
Montenegrin Parliament Moves to Debate Disputed Religion Law
The legislative committee of Montenegro's parliament endorsed on Tuesday a draft law on freedom of religion, the last hurdle before the legislation is debated by lawmakers on Thursday over fierce objections from the Serbian Orthodox Church, SPC.
Hundreds of Serb priests and monks protested in front of parliament before the committee session demanding the bill's withdrawal.
It's been decided: Law on religious freedom adopted, SPC priests gathered PHOTO/VIDEO
A legislative committee session is being held today in the building, on which the Government's Law on freedom of religion is on the agenda.
The Legislative Committee of the Montenegrin Parliament endorsed the majority vote by the government's Law on religious freedom.
Serbian Church Clergy to Protest Before Montenegro Parliament
As bitter disputes continue in Montenegro over a controversial new law on religion, the Serbian Orthodox Church is to organise an open-air council in the capital, Podgorica, gathering all priests and monks in front of the national parliament.
Myths versus fantasies
Serbian Church Council Demands Montenegro Scrap Religious Register
Under the new law, religious communities can only retain ownership of their property is if they can produce clear evidence that it belongs to them. This point has triggered accusations from the Serbian Orthodox Church that the government plans to dispute many of its holdings.
The government denies having any plan to strip any faith denomination of its property.
Energean gets extra year to explore Montenegro's offshore oil and gas blocks
Montenegro, which is hoping to find oil and gas reserves off its coast, said on Friday it has extended Energean Oil & Gas's licence by a year to explore two blocks as the Greek company required more time.
Montenegro awarded Energean a 30-year oil and gas exploration licence in 2017 for the blocks covering a combined 338 square kilometers in the Adriatic Sea's shallow waters.
Djukanovic sends troops to the border
The Council has decided to engage the Montenegrin Army in protecting the border from illegal migrants by the end of 2020, in support of police forces.
Witness Identifies Kosovo Serb Fighter as Brother’s Abductor
Witness Valbona Berisha told Pristina Basic Court on Thursday that defendant Zoran Djukic was the man who took her brother Bashkim Berisha away from their home to a neighbour's house in the town of Peja/Pec, where he was killed in March 1999.
Serbian Church to Rally in Montenegro Against Property Law
Tensions in Montenegro could be heightened after the Serbian Orthodox Church holds an assembly and a protest rally in Niksic on Saturday against a controversial new law on religion.
BIRN Launches Updated Map of Balkan War Crime Verdicts
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network on Wednesday published its updated and improved War Crimes Verdicts Map, enabling users to search rulings in cases from courts across the former Yugoslavia and from the UN tribunal in The Hague.
Montenegro’s Unjust Religion Law Has United Everyone Against it
Disapproval over this uncivilized piece of legislation that entered into parliamentary procedure few days ago has put a display of unprecedented unity into motion.
Negative attitudes towards the proposed law and its consequences have been expressed by Pope Francis, the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Russian Patriarch and the US Ambassador for Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback.
New Earthquake Registered in Albania
The Montenegro Seismological Observatory registered a 3.7 Magnitude earthquake. Its epicentre was 20 kilometers north of the Albanian city of Durres this morning at 4.14 am local time, BTA reported.