PODGORICA, 25.01.2026 – The Podgorica Court for Misdemeanors fined Čedomir Radičević (70) €400 on 24 January for crude and misogynistic insults directed at Vijesti journalist Jelena Jovanović.
Radičević was arrested earlier that day after Jovanović reported him to the police for an online attack, insults, and attempted intimidation, to which she claims she was subjected as a result of her journalistic work.
Before the court, Radičević said that he accepted responsibility, apologised to Jovanović, and stated that he felt remorse and shame. However, he added that he did not want to delete the Facebook post before giving a statement to the police.
He also said that he had no connection to individuals charged with organised crime offences whom Jovanović mentioned in the programme “Minula neđelja” (“The Past Sunday”), but that he wanted to explain that such individuals should be commented on only after final court verdicts are issued.
Jovanović told the Court for Misdemeanors that Radičević’s Facebook post was publicly available to an unlimited number of users, meaning that the act was committed in a public space and before a broad audience.
She further stressed that the message constituted a crude, humiliating and insulting qualification that directly associated her with prostitution.
“Such public association with prostitution represents a serious violation of my dignity, honour and reputation, as well as a form of gender-based, sexually degrading speech which, in a social context, has particularly harmful consequences for women,” Jovanović said.
She also told presiding judge Sabina Canović that Radičević’s post sought to undermine her personal and professional reputation, credibility, and public trust in her work, given that she is a journalist by profession.
“I particularly emphasised that this can also affect my personal safety, bearing in mind that such characterisations may encourage further harassment, which was evident from comments by individuals who condemned my decision to report the defendant while defending him and insulting me. It would have been understandable had the defendant reacted lawfully—by submitting a denial or requesting a correction—but he did not. For that reason, I do not accept his apology, as doing so would mean accepting that anyone may label me and all other women with a term that in our society carries contempt, stigma and potential danger, and implies acceptance of being viewed as sexual objects waiting by street poles,” Jovanović said.
Earlier today, the Police Directorate officially announced that Radičević was arrested for a misdemeanour under the Law on Public Order and Peace—Article 7 (insolent behaviour)—committed to the detriment of Jovanović.
“Police officers acted immediately upon the report submitted late last night by journalist Jelena Jovanović via the Virtual Police Station application. The report concerned a post by Č.R. on a social media platform, in which he commented on her journalistic work in an insolent and negative manner, while also directing crude misogynistic insults at her. Č.R. was brought to police premises, where a statement was taken in connection with the report,” the Police Directorate said in a statement.
Earlier today, Jovanović also gave a statement to the competent state prosecutor’s office regarding, as she stated, long-standing and repeated online attacks, insults and attempts at intimidation. She noted that the most recent incident, viewed as a whole—considering the content of the message, its context, frequency and intent—gives rise to reasonable suspicion that Radičević may have committed one of several criminal offences: endangering security, violation of freedom of speech and public expression, and preventing the printing and distribution of printed materials and the broadcasting of programmes.
Jovanović explained that she was once again targeted the night before last, during the broadcast of the programme “Minula neđelja” on A Plus Television, while she was speaking about individuals charged by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) with serious criminal offences, who, as she said, were supposed to fight organised crime on behalf of the state.