Montenegro issues international arrest warrant for two Russians and three Serbs for involvement in coup attempt
Montenegro has issued an international arrest warrant for two Russians and three Serbs who are allegedly involved in a coup d’état attempt in order to overthrow the Montenegrin government, Radio Svoboda reported.
On the 27th of December, the Montenegrin Prosecutor’s Office reported that five people are wanted on suspicion of terrorist activity, including the plot to murderthe Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, and seize of the Parliament building on Election Day in October.
The two Russians are reportedly members of Russian military intelligence, who, according to the prosecution, carried out surveillance over the Prime Minister of Montenegro from neighboring Serbia.
Local media reported that one of the wanted Serbs is Nemanja Ristic, who appeared in a photo standing near the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, on the 12th of December during his visit to Belgrade. The Kremlin denies its involvement in the Montenegrin coup. However, it actively supports local political groups that oppose the pro-NATO Government.
Montenegro received an invitation to join the Alliance last year, but the decision has not yet been ratified by several Member States.
The Montenegrin authorities stated that there is no evidence of the involvement of high-level Russian officials in a plot against NATO. Approximately 20 people, mostly Serbs and Russians, are already held in custody in Montenegro on charges of involvement in this scheme. Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jens Stoltenberg, previously assured the security of Montenegro.