Petar Lazović, a former state security agent, claims he is merely a “punching bag for the prosecution,” stating, “they are attributing all unsolved crimes to me.”

During his defense presentation in the High Court, he denied allegations of abusing an alleged Skaljar clan member, Goran Brajović, back in August 2020.

Lazović asserted he had no prior knowledge of Brajović.

He reiterated, “I’m clearly a punching bag for the prosecution, and they blame me for everything they haven’t solved.”

“All my actions were in service of Montenegro’s state and the safety of its people. I did not torture, kidnap, or mistreat anyone. The accusations against me are made without any evidence,” Lazović stated in his defense.

He mentioned that the sector he was part of had 100 members, yet he is the only one facing charges.

“I seem to be the only one held accountable, while no one else has been charged or prosecuted. If I were to play the role of an octopus, I can’t fathom how I could accomplish that. This feels like a political witch hunt against me and my family,” Lazović concluded.

While responding to inquiries from his defense attorney, Nikola Martinović, he explained that he and his colleagues in that sector used radio communications, enabling all to monitor conversations and track individuals’ locations.

The trial is set to resume on September 24th, with witness testimonies planned.

The pre-trial chamber of the Higher Court in Podgorica has confirmed an indictment against Petar Lazović for the kidnapping and torture of Goran Brajović. This incident occurred following his arrest in the summer of 2020 at the Montenegro-Bosnia and Herzegovina border, where he was apprehended alongside two Colombian nationals he was allegedly transporting to Podgorica.

Brajović and the Colombian citizens, Aleksandar Costana Caso Jose and Caicedo Bandoy Juan Davido, were given a combined sentence of eight years for their roles in a criminal organization engaged in serious offenses.

Brajović and David Kaisedo each received two and a half years in prison, while Aleksandar Costana was sentenced to three years.

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