5/9/19
PODGORICA -- Montenegro's High Court has convicted a group of 14 Russians, Serbs, and Montenegrins on terrorism charges and creating a criminal organization as part of an October 2016 attempted coup aimed at derailing the country's NATO membership bid. Two alleged Russian military intelligence officers (GRU) who were accused of organizing the violent overthrow of Montenegro's government coup were convicted and sentenced in absentia. Russian citizen Eduard Shishmakov was sentenced in absentia to nine years in prison for creating a criminal organization and eight years in prison for attempted terrorism. Set up to be served as partially concurrent sentences, the length of Shishmakov's total sentence is to be 15 years. Russian citizen Vladimir Popo was sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison on each of the charges -- for a total of 12 years in prison as a partially concurrent sentence. The presiding trial judge, Suzan Mugosa, said on May 9 that Shishmakov and Popov "pursued a joint decision to make intentional attempts to contribute significantly to the carrying out of the planned criminal actions with the intention to seriously threaten the citizens of Montenegro, to attack the lives and bodies of others, and to seriously threaten and damage Montenegro's basic constitutional, political, and social structures in order to stop Montenegro from joining the NATO alliance."
Two pro-Russian leaders of Montenegro's opposition Democratic Front -- Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic -- were sentenced to five years while their Montenegrin driver, Mihajlo Cadenovic, was given an 18-month prison sentence. For the nine citizens of Serbia convicted in the coup plot, the harshest sentence was against Branislav Dikic -- a former Serbian police general who received eight years in prison. Predrag Bogicevic and Nemanja Ristic, both members of Serbian ultranationalist groups, each were sentenced in absentia to seven years. Branka Milic, who fled to Serbia's embassy in Podgorica in late 2018, received a three-year sentence; Dragan Maksi was sentenced to 21 months; Srboljub Dordevic was sentenced to 18 months; and Kristina Hristic received a suspended sentence. Montenegro's High Court found that the group had plotted to occupy the country's parliament during the 2016 parliamentary elections, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, and install a pro-Russian leadership.
