PODGORICA, 20.04.2026. – The verdict in the case against Danko Femić, who is charged with the criminal offence of coercion against photojournalists from Vijesti and Pobjeda, Boris Pejović and Stevo Vasiljević, will be delivered on Wednesday, 22 April.
This was announced by Judge Tomo Zečević at today’s hearing, where closing arguments were presented.
The trial of Femić began in October 2025, while a separate proceeding for the same criminal offence is being conducted before the Basic Court in Berane against Nikola Raičević and Milić Ralević. Following the incident that occurred in August 2025 during the removal of a monument to Chetnik commander and war criminal Pavle Đurišić, two misdemeanour proceedings were also initiated against several individuals.
In their closing statement, representatives of the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Berane said that Pejović and Vasiljević were attacked while performing their professional duties, despite not being subject to any restriction on photographing.
“The defendant forcibly snatched the camera from the injured party, accompanied by threats: ‘If the photos are published, I will find you and kill you.’ It has been established that he undertook actions containing elements of coercion,” they stated.
According to the prosecution, the gravity of the offence is further increased by the fact that it was committed against journalists while they were carrying out work of public interest.
“If a conviction is not reached, it would send a message to the public that anyone can, through coercion, dictate what others are or are not allowed to do,” they added.
The Prosecutor’s Office requested that the court find Femić guilty of coercion, for which the basic form of the offence carries a prison sentence ranging from three months to three years.
Femić’s defence attorneys stated that they had expected the prosecutor to drop the charges during the proceedings, but since that did not happen, they are seeking an acquittal.
They argued that there is no evidence supporting the indictment and that witness testimonies and expert findings indicate that Femić is not guilty.
“The medical documentation contains no evidence that Pejović sustained injuries, while no injuries were diagnosed in Vasiljević’s case. On the other hand, the public was informed by ill-intentioned media that they had been lynched and beaten. Had that been the case, plainclothes police officers present would have intervened,” the defence said.
They concluded that the only victim in this case is their client, whose detention, in their view, lasted so long that it effectively became a punishment.
At today’s hearing, Femić once again denied the charges against him and requested an acquittal.
The court’s decision will be publicly announced on 22 April at 2 p.m. at the Basic Court in Berane.
T. Radulović