On May 20, the Higher Court in Bijelo Polje upheld two initial verdicts from lower courts, penalizing three individuals with suspended sentences and house arrest for “election tourism” in Šavnik. Elections in this municipality, which commenced in October 2022, are still ongoing.

The court confirmed the September ruling from the Basic Court in Bijelo Polje, where IR from Nikšić received a three-month probationary jail sentence for the offense of inducing the certification of deceptive information. It also affirmed the Basic Court in Kolašin’s December 2024 ruling, which sentenced DT and PM (origin of which is unspecified) to three months of house arrest or a suspended six-month jail term for the same offense.

The Higher Court dismissed the appeals from the defendants’ legal team, who sought to annul the verdicts and remand the cases for a new trial.

The court’s reasoning in the IR case stated that the individual’s relocation was aimed at misleading the Šavnik branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) to register a false address, allowing him to vote in Šavnik, where he had no actual residence.

According to the Higher Court, the relevant authority was misled, and based on erroneous data, it certified a false address in its official records, which serves as evidence in judicial processes, thereby falsely showing the defendant residing in Šavnik.

“This fraudulent registration of residence facilitated his inclusion on the electoral roll and enabled him to vote in the local elections in Šavnik, which he does not deny, noting that on October 23, 2022, he attempted to vote but was denied by an individual. He later re-registered his residence in Nikšić on December 23, 2022, at Oštrovac no. 126,” the documents state.

DT and PM were found guilty for providing false information to a MUP officer in Šavnik for the purpose of being listed as voters and participating in the elections there.

“The criminal act implies proactive efforts by the defendant to mislead the competent authority into certifying untrue information, which can be utilized as evidence in legal processes. The initial verdict presented clear and compelling reasoning, fully accepted by this court,” the verdict reasoning elucidates.

The elections in Šavnik started on October 23, 2022, alongside elections in 13 other municipalities, but were incomplete due to opposition coalition members from “For the Future of Šavnik,” led by the former Democratic Front, barring some newly registered voters from casting ballots, alleging they were enlisted to support the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

Voting occurred nine times at two polling stations, including the Municipal building and in Kruševice, which has 541 eligible voters, concluding for the last time on December 18, 2022, after which elections were once more suspended, leaving the Municipal Election Commission unable to resolve the issue of repeating them.

Numerous individuals have faced prosecution due to incidents related to the elections in Šavnik, which involved various altercations, including physical confrontations.

Recently, several ruling parties proposed amendments to the Law on the Voters’ Register in Parliament, preventing “election tourists” from Šavnik, who deregistered after the 2022 elections, from participating in any potential repeat vote at the two polling stations, irrespective of their status on the voter list.

The Šavnik opposition, part of the state government’s constituencies, has been blockading the Šavnik-Žabljak road for three months, protesting the need for re-elections. They demand action regarding Jugoslav Jakić (DPS) for mayor and the incomplete electoral process in the municipality.

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