PODGORICA, 01.02.2019. – Zdravko Gojković, from Podgorica, was sentenced to three months in prison, because in March last year, he was endagering the security of journalist of Vijesti Jelena Jovanović. This is the first instance verdict of the judge of the Podgorica Basic Court Larisa Stamatovic Mijuškovic.
Explaining the verdict, Stamatovic Mijuskovic said that the defendant’s words, addressed to journalists: “I will act differently with you, I know how I will do” can not be regarded as isolated – but that the whole event must be taken into account, as well as the feeling of vulnerability that at that time had Jovanovic.
The judge also pointed out that a special threat was that the accused ordered the journalist to be careful with the high tone. According to the court, the indictments were also proved by the testimonies of Jovanovic and her colleague Tina Popovic.
When assessing the sentence, it is stated that the court, as a mitigating circumstance, took Gojkovic’s family opportunities – that he was the father of one child, and as a aggravating – his multiple conviction.
Upon leaving the courthouse and the defendant, the accused and Gojkovic refused to comment on the verdict.
The attorney of the journalist Jovanovic, lawyer Damir Lekic said that the verdict was expected in the part of the defendant’s guilty plea.
“All the evidence were more than enough to blame and condemn him the way it was done. I think that this punishment is a low, but, as far as moral satisfaction is concerned, it’s okay for us, because from the start we said that it does not matter how much it will be convicted, but only to determine his guilt”, said the lawyer.
Gojkovic is charged that on March 22, 2018, after his journalist Jovanovic told him that he could not remove the text from the portal, but had the right to react or deny claims from the text, he pushed the papers off the table and told her:
“I will act differently with you, I know how I will do,” and then she told her to look after her.
In his defense before the court, he claimed that he did not want to jeopardize the journalist’s safety, while earlier, while trying to settle the prosecution, he acknowledged the commission of a criminal offense. As the settlement failed, the case ended in court.
Journalist Jelena Jovanovic announced yesterday that her only goal was to prove the truth.
“Since the day Gojkovic came to the newsroom and threatened me, my only goal is to prove the truth before the court – that the multiple convicted criminal in my workplace jeopardized my own and the security of my colleagues, which he himself admitted twice by offering the prosecutor to plead guilty by mutual consent. The conviction in this case is important for all of us who do this work, because the threats and insults that we experience are almost everyday, “she said.