The Higher Court in Podgorica continued the trial of Slobodan Peković, accused of war crimes against civilians in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war. Peković, a former soldier of the Army of the Republika Srpska, is charged with murder and rape in the village of Hum near Foča in 1992. During the proceedings, Peković denied the charges, and the court heard testimonies from witnesses, including protected witnesses. The court rejected several prosecution motions, including the engagement of a psychiatric expert to assess the impact of trauma on the victim. This case is the first in the Montenegrin judiciary dealing with wartime sexual violence, representing a test for the application of international standards in protecting victims of war crimes.
Political Perspectives:
Left: Left-leaning sources emphasize the importance of justice for war crimes victims and the need for thorough investigation and prosecution of perpetrators. They highlight the significance of addressing wartime sexual violence as a serious crime and stress the protection of victims’ rights and dignity during the trial process.
Center: Center-leaning sources report the facts of the trial objectively, focusing on the legal procedures, evidence presented, and the challenges faced by the judiciary in handling complex war crimes cases. They note the significance of this being the first case of wartime sexual violence in Montenegrin courts and the application of international legal standards.
Right: Right-leaning sources may focus on the defense’s arguments, including the denial of charges by the accused and questioning the credibility of witness testimonies. They might emphasize the importance of fair trial rights for the accused and caution against potential politicization of war crimes trials.
