The Higher Court in Montenegro has sentenced Ilir Djokaj to a maximum of 40 years in prison for the aggravated murder of 19-year-old Sejla Bakija, along with wounding her father, Saban, in September 2021. Djokaj was convicted of aggravated murder, attempted murder, and illegal weapon possession.

In explaining the verdict, Judge Veljko Radovanovic stated that Djokaj killed Sejla due to base motives and selfish feelings. The court dismissed defense claims that Djokaj had faced a threat when he arrived at the Bakija family home in Tuzi, near Podgorica.

Srdjan Ljeskovic, Djokaj’s lawyer, announced plans to appeal, arguing that the verdict was the result of political and NGO pressure.

Tijana Zivkovic, the legal representative for the Bakija family, remarked after the trial that the verdict offered a measure of solace for the victim’s family.

Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence of 40 years, a request echoed by the victim’s family.

The prosecution asserted that Sejla was targeted after she declined to rekindle a relationship with Djokaj, which had ended a few months prior to the tragic event.

During this period, Djokaj persistently pursued her, sent threatening messages through fake social media profiles, and insisted that their relationship wasn’t over.

On September 30, 2021, Djokaj confronted Sejla outside her family home, fatally shooting her after she reiterated that she did not want to be with him.

Following Seila’s death, protests erupted demanding accountability from institutions, as she had reported threats to the police multiple times. Protesters have insisted on identifying those responsible in the protection chain against violence; however, no such accountability has been established as of yet.

A group of citizens and several NGOs protested outside the Higher Court in Podgorica last year concerning a different murder case involving Zimrita Nerda.

This protest followed the High Court’s decision to sentence Dalibor Nikolić to just 12 years in prison after he brutally assaulted his pregnant wife, Zimrita Nerda, in 2022, resulting in her death a few days later.

Human rights organizations have called for femicide to be classified as a distinct criminal offense. The government has stated that it will consider this proposal in the anticipated updates to the Criminal Code in the latter half of 2024.