Appeal Court

Democratic Front leaders Milan Knezevic (L) and Andrija Mandic (R) at a pre-election rally in Podgorica, Montenegro in March. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

Defence lawyer Miroje Jovanovic asked the court to separate the proceedings against Mandic, Knezevic and Mandic's driver Mihailo Cadjenovic from the other ten defendants as the secret files apparently do not relate to them.

Andrija Mandic (R) and Milan Knezevic (L) , leaders of the pro-Russian opposition Democratic Front, attend a press conference in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EFE-EPA/BORIS PEJOVIC

Belgrade Appeals Court has reduced the sentences handed down to six men who were convicted of involvement in a war crime against civilians in Lovas in Croatia in October 1991, and acquitted two others who had been found guilty at their initial trial.

The Serbian War Crimes Prosecution told BIRN that it has charged Osman Osmanovic with committing war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war at the Rasadnik camp in Gornji Rahic in Bosnia and Herzegovina's Brcko area during the summer of 1992.

The indictment was issued on Friday and has yet to be confirmed by a court.

A new trial in Montenegro against the investigative journalist Jovo Martinovic for drug trafficking started on Thursday before the Higher Court in Podgorica.

The court jailed him for 18 months in January 2019 but the Appeal Court overturned the verdict in October as a result of which a retrial was ordered. 

The Higher Court in Belgrade has refused to extradite Osman Osmanovic, who is wanted for war crimes - and is in custody in Serbia - to Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is confirmed to BIRN on Friday. This decision can be appealed.

The Justice Minister of Montenegro must decide whether to extradite an alleged supporter of the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulenist to Turkey, after the Appeal Court in Podgorica on Monday rejected his appeal against the earlier ruling of a local court.

The Higher Court in Bijelo Polje has again ruled to extradite Gulenist movement member Harun Ayvaz to Turkey, where he is wanted for alleged terrorism offences.

The ruling, made on October 14, came after the Podgorica-based Appeal Court overturned the Bijelo Polje court's previous decision which said that Ayvaz should be extradited to Turkey.

Montenegro's Appeal Court has told a local court in the country to make a new ruling on a Turkish extradition request for Gulenist movement member Harun Ayvaz, who is wanted in his home country for alleged terrorism offences.

The body in charge in investigating the fearsome secret service of the former communist regime in Romania on Thursday launched court procedures to ascertain whether former president Traian Basescu ever collaborated with the so-called Securitate.