The Police Directorate has granted police protection to Pobjeda journalist Ana Raičković, five months after businessman Zoran Bećirović, his son Luka, and their bodyguards Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić brutally attacked her on November 10 in front of the “Gurman” restaurant in Podgorica.
Raičković has been assigned one police officer responsible for her safety.
According to Pobjeda, authorities estimate that Raičković should be protected by two police officers, but this is currently not possible due to a shortage of personnel.
The National Security Agency (NSA) determined back in early March that Raičković’s safety was endangered and that she should be provided with 24-hour police protection.
Even though authorities stated on the night of the attack that a risk assessment should be conducted immediately and that Raičković needs protection, the Police Directorate took a long time to act—Raičković received the status of a protected person yesterday.
Numerous NGOs and security experts had already emphasized that Raičković should have been granted protection immediately after the attack, repeatedly urging the Police Directorate to follow NSA’s recommendation.
Months of Silence
Pobjeda repeatedly contacted the Police Directorate and the Ministry of Interior to ask why the process of granting police protection was being delayed, especially since the National Security Agency had already assessed that Raičković needs protection.
On January 22, Pobjeda submitted inquiries to these state institutions, and only nine days later, the Police Directorate announced that it had submitted a request to NSA for a security risk assessment.
“Once the assessment is completed and submitted to the Police Directorate, and if its content indicates that the individual’s safety is endangered, in accordance with Article 10, Paragraph 1 of the Government’s Decision on the Protection of Persons, Facilities, and Premises by the Police Directorate, appropriate measures will be taken as prescribed by the relevant bylaw,” the police stated on January 31.
Sources from Pobjeda noted that this approach is not standard practice, as in previous cases involving journalists, the police acted more swiftly in assigning protection.
Verdict is Expected Today
Raičković was attacked on November 10 last year in front of the “Gurman” restaurant, alongside her son Uroš Gagović and fiancé Tomo Arapović. She was verbally abused, threatened, dragged from her car, strangled, pulled by the hair, and had her car window smashed.
The accused denied the incident took place when the police arrived following Raičković’s report, and later claimed in court they didn’t know she was a journalist and that no threats or abuse occurred.
However, a recording from Raičković’s phone, reviewed during a previous court hearing, clearly captured vile insults from businessman Zoran Bećirović and his bodyguard Mladen Mijatović.
Security camera footage from a nearby building and medical expert Krsto Nikolić confirmed that Raičković suffered injuries to her neck and hand.
Four witnesses were heard during the trial; none claimed to have seen Bećirović or Mijatović threaten or assault Raičković.
The verdict is expected today. Prosecutor Romina Vlahović has requested 18 months of prison time for Zoran Bećirović, his son Luka, and Mladen Mijatović, and 30 months for Ljubiša Dukić, due to his criminal record.
On the other hand, Raičković and her legal representative, lawyer Miloš Vuksanović, have asked that Dukić be acquitted, stating that he “acted like a real man and prevented a worse outcome.”
Violation of Raičković’s Rights
The Quality Control Service of the Clinical Center (Patient Rights Protector) confirmed that Raičković’s patient rights were violated when, during a hearing, defense attorney Danilo Mićović unlawfully submitted her medical documentation.
“Regarding your letter from April 2, 2025, we inform you that the Quality Control Service conducted the necessary procedures and found that patient rights were indeed violated. All findings have been forwarded to the Assistant Director for Legal and Personnel Affairs for further action,” stated Dr. Ivana Čurović-Šoškić.
Defense attorneys Danilo Mićović and Marta Šćepanović—representing the accused—misused Raičković’s personal data by submitting her medical report, illegally obtained from the Clinical Center, to the judge Ilija Radulović at a March 28 hearing.
The Basic State Prosecutor’s Office has opened a case regarding this misuse of protected medical documentation.
Mićović proposed the specialist’s report as evidence and read the doctor’s name aloud, describing the symptoms and diagnosis—an act clearly violating data protection laws. Judge Radulović rejected the proposal after the plaintiff’s legal representative objected.
Popović Secretly Photographed Raičković
Vukota Popović was questioned on the prosecutor’s orders after he secretly photographed Raičković on March 28 in the Basic Court building in Podgorica.
Popović, a close friend of Zoran Bećirović, attended the hearing that day. Just ten minutes before the trial, Raičković sat on a bench in the courthouse hallway. Popović, sat across from her, secretly took her photo.
The next day, March 29, Raičković reported him to the police, stating that the act made her feel uncomfortable, though she didn’t mention it during the hearing to avoid disrupting proceedings. Taking photos is strictly prohibited in court buildings, making Popović’s actions deliberate and unlawful.
The Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica is investigating his motives and whether the photo was shared and why.
Complaint Filed Against Aktuelno Portal
Raičković filed a police complaint regarding a comment published on the Aktuelno portal, co-owned by Zoran Bećirović.
She has filed two complaints regarding defamatory comments and targeting by unidentified individuals through this portal, claiming that the narrative mirrors what Bećirović himself expresses in court.
In one complaint, she noted that under an article—typically unsigned and full of falsehoods—titled “Suspicious Motives and Prosecutorial Failures: Detention Becomes Punishment for Bećirović and Mijatović Before the Verdict,” Aktuelno claimed she was a “special agent” of an organized criminal government tasked with eliminating Bećirović from both business and life.
Source: Pobjeda