Goran Mićković, the suspect in the assault on RTCG journalist Dušanka Pejović, reaffirmed during today’s hearing that he denies committing any crime and feels no guilt.

He asserts that he was not aware of her journalistic identity, claiming he learned her name only from the case file.

Conversely, Pejović alleges that Mićković threatened her that day, stating he knew who she was and where she resided.

Judge Dragana Lubarda from the Basic Court in Podgorica is set to deliver the verdict on Monday, April 14, as announced by the Media Syndicate.

On March 9, Pejović reported that an unidentified man had hurled a series of insults and threats at her outside her apartment in Podgorica.

The police responded promptly, arresting Goran Mićković, who remains in custody on suspicion of endangering her safety.

During the trial, Mićković answered only his defense attorney’s questions, according to the Media Syndicate.

He reiterated that he was unaware of Pejović’s profession as a journalist and had only learned her details from the case files.

When asked by his defense attorney whether Pejović would face issues with him post-trial, he responded negatively.

“As far as I’m concerned, there won’t be any problems, just as there haven’t been before. I have no issues with anyone in my building or in Montenegro,” he claimed.

Pejović explained that the incident began when a taxi dropped her off at her building.

She reported that Mićković started shouting derogatory and threatening remarks from his balcony, making lewd gestures that implied sexual violence.

“He referred to me as ‘garbage collector’ and ‘trash,’ asserting, ‘I know who you are, I know when you moved here.’ I didn’t retaliate with insults; I simply referred to him as ‘sir,'” she recounted.

She called the police after Mićković warned her he would come down to “break her down.”

Mićković, as Pejović described, exited the building and persisted in his threats.

“I could see that he was not in a stable state. He didn’t physically touch me, but he invaded my personal space to the point where I had to step back,” Pejović stated.

Having worked as a journalist for 20 years, she noted that her parent company is currently pursuing a case for mobbing and that she has been a victim of threats previously.

“I cannot determine the motives behind this attack, but I can lay out the facts. He pointedly said, ‘I know who you are, and I know where you live.’ Additionally, I am a journalist and a public figure. Thirdly, I have faced threats for a long time. Fourthly, I have shared opinions that are public knowledge. Fifthly, I have encountered various situations, both threatening and affirming,” she expressed.

“I just want to feel safe and free, to be protected, and to continue my profession without the looming threat of harm,” she added.

The defense attorney argued that Mićković is accused of threatening Pejović due to her status as a journalist, despite the fact that he did not mention her name or title during the encounter.

He contended that the defendant has been vilified in the media preceding the trial.

“In this particular case, none of us can definitively ascertain whether threatening statements were made. Only the defendant and the victim are aware of that. Whom should we believe? Given the uncertainty, I propose that he be released from criminal liability and that his detention be lifted,” he stated.

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