Samir KajosevicPodgoricaBIRNMarch 3, 202316:26Judicial authorities are demanding tougher security measures after a man activated a hand-grenade at the entrance of the Basic Court building in Podgorica, killing himself and wounding eight people.
Police tape near the Basic Court building in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: BIRN/Jelena Jovanovic.
Montenegro’s Supreme Court on Friday called on authorities to strengthen security measures in courts after a suicide-bomber killed himself and wounded eight others in a Podgorica court building on Friday.
Police reported that the man with the initials M.B. activated a hand-grenade at the entrance of the Basic Court building.
Police are still investigating why he activated the hand-grenade. Media reported that he had been arrested for attacking police officers and drug trafficking.
The Supreme Court said judicial institutions in the country must be better secured. “For years, the Supreme Court has been urging authorities to establish a court security service and also to raise the level of security for employees and citizens. But despite our calls, nothing has happened,” the Court said in a press release.
The head of the Basic Court in Podgorica, Zeljka Jovovic, said they had long been warning about the poor security procedures in the court building, while the head of the Montenegrin lawyers chamber, Zdravko Begovic, said police should control every person who enters the building.
In an interview on January 2021, Jovovic said strengthening security at the court entrance should be a priority. According to current security procedures, persons who enter the Basic Court don’t need to be checked. Control is mandatory in the Supreme Court, Higher Court and Court of Appeal.
The explosion in the Basic Court came after a series of false bomb threats shook Montenegro. On March 2, the Supreme Court, Higher Court and Court of Appeal building in Podgorica was evacuated after one of the judges received an emailed bomb threat. Police later reported it was a false alarm.
On March 1, the local assembly building in Podgorica was evacuated after a false bomb threat. On Friday, police reported that a child was responsible for the threat. A 10-year-old reportedly left a note reading: “I will blow you up all!” on a piece of paper at the building entrance.
On March 2, outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic said that investigations would continue. “There is no need for panic and citizens can be relaxed. We will present investigation results soon,” Abazovic said.
Although false bomb threats have shaken the region since March, there have been few arrests and criminal charges over the threatening emails sent to schools, universities, airports and courts.
The first false bomb threats started in March last year, mostly targeting primary and secondary schools in Serbia and Montenegro. They then took off in other countries in the region, with new hoax threats received by courts, embassies, shopping centres and airports.
The wave of threats continued throughout the autumn, causing particular alarm among pupils, and school staff. Montenegrin authorities have nabbed six perpetrators from the country, mostly school pupils. One was a teenager with a residence listed in the Czech Republic.
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