The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemns the public statements of the Minister of Defence of Montenegro, Dragan Krapovic, accusing lawyer Veselin Radulovic of being part of an organized crime team and threatening him with retaliation in connection with the exercise of his professional functions.
Veselin Radulovic is a lawyer representing police officers suspended in the vetting process under way in the Police Administration of Montenegro, as well as two individuals accused in a case concerning the Director of the Police Administration. He has filed a series of criminal complaints against the political party to which Minister Krapovic belongs, Demokrate – Demokratska Crna Gora (Democratic Montenegro), and its officials.
Public accusations and threats of this kind by any public official, and especially by a high-level government minister, made against a lawyer as a consequence of their representation of clients and the performance of professional functions, such as the filing of criminal complaints, constitute a clear abuse of authority. This conduct amounts to harassment, intimidation of and improper interference with the legal profession, which undermines the fair administration of justice in Montenegro and violates the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
“When a government minister brands a lawyer a member of organized crime because of the clients he represents and the complaints he files, the message is addressed to the entire legal profession,” said Temur Shakirov, ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme Director. “Independent lawyers in Montenegro must be able to act for their clients and to speak on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation by the State.”
The ICJ calls on the Montenegrin authorities to publicly disavow the statements against Veselin Radulovic, to refrain from identifying lawyers with their clients or their clients’ causes, and to ensure that he and all lawyers in Montenegro are able to carry out their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference. The ICJ also calls for an independent investigation into the campaign of intimidation with a view to ensuring redress and accountability.
The statements came after Veselin Radulovic filed a criminal complaint on 29 June with the Special State Prosecutor’s Office against Minister Krapovic, his party and officials of the Ministry of Defence, in connection with the procurement of two patrol boats allegedly concluded without a public procurement procedure. The Ministry of Defence has rejected the allegations.
In public statements made in the days that followed, Minister Krapovic asserted that Veselin Radulovic was “part of a team that includes criminal clans and organized crime groups”, referring, according to reports, to the criminal complaints the lawyer had filed against the party and its officials. The Minister reportedly described the lawyer as a small cog, stated that as a participant in a “witch hunt” he would be held accountable, warning that “Radulovic is next”.
The Minister also accused Radulovic of belonging to a group organized with the intent to endanger the safety of the Director of the Police Administration through “hybrid” actions, reportedly in connection with his representation of two individuals accused in a case concerning the police director. According to Human Rights Action (HRA), a Montenegrin human rights organization with which Radulovic acts as legal counsel, the Minister presented no evidence in support of these accusations.
Veselin Radulovic has to date reportedly filed 14 criminal complaints against Democratic Montenegro, its officials and associated individuals. The filing of criminal complaints and the representation of clients are ordinary professional functions of a lawyer, and the assessment of such complaints falls to the competent prosecutorial and judicial authorities, not to members of the government.
Background
Veselin Radulovic is a lawyer practising in Podgorica. On 17 September 2025, the UN Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, on freedom of expression and on human rights defenders addressed a communication to the Government of Montenegro concerning online and media attacks against Radulovic, reportedly for his work as a lawyer in the vetting process, and against Tea Gorjanc Prelevic, Executive Director of HRA. The Government’s reply, according to HRA, did not address the concerns in substance.
On 4 July 2026, HRA issued a statement denouncing against the remarks made by Minister Krapovic. On 6 July 2026, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, publicly expressed concern that a high-ranking government official had made public allegations about a prominent lawyer, apparently in response to his professional activities, and reiterated that lawyers must be able to work free from interference or intimidation. Minister Krapovic has announced that he intends to file a criminal complaint against Radulovic for false reporting.
In April 2024, the ICJ conducted a research mission on the independence of the judiciary in Montenegro, and in 2025 it published the report Beyond the Benchmarks: Dilemmas of Effective Judicial Reforms in Montenegro.
Applicable international law and standards
The UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provide:
“16. Governments shall ensure that lawyers (a) are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; (b) are able to travel and to consult with their clients freely both within their own country and abroad; and (c) shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.
18. Lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions. […]
23. Lawyers like other citizens are entitled to freedom of expression, belief, association and assembly. In particular, they shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights and to join or form local, national or international organizations and attend their meetings, without suffering professional restrictions by reason of their lawful action or their membership in a lawful organization. […]”
Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provides:
“2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”
Facts Only
* The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemns public statements by Minister of Defence Dragan Krapovic against lawyer Veselin Radulovic.
* Krapovic accused Radulovic of being part of an organized crime team and threatened him regarding professional functions.
* Veselin Radulovic represents suspended police officers and two individuals accused in a case concerning the Police Administration Director.
* Radulovic filed criminal complaints against the political party Demokrate – Demokratska Crna Gora and its officials.
* Minister Krapovic asserted that Radulovic was part of a team including criminal clans and organized crime groups.
* Krapovic warned Radulovic would be held accountable, stating "Radulovic is next."
* Krapovic also accused Radulovic of organizing actions to endanger the Director of the Police Administration.
* Radulovic has reportedly filed 14 criminal complaints against Democratic Montenegro and its officials.
* The Ministry of Defence rejected allegations related to a criminal complaint filed by Radulovic concerning patrol boat procurement.
* Veselin Radulovic is a lawyer practicing in Podgorica.
Executive Summary
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemns public statements made by the Minister of Defence of Montenegro, Dragan Krapovic, which accused lawyer Veselin Radulovic of belonging to an organized crime team and threatened him with retaliation related to his professional functions. Radulovic represents police officers suspended in the vetting process and two individuals accused in a case concerning the Director of the Police Administration. He has filed criminal complaints against the political party Minister Krapovic belongs to, Demokrate – Demokratska Crna Gora, and its officials. The ICJ asserts that such actions by a high-level official constitute an abuse of authority, harassment, intimidation, and interference with the legal profession, undermining the administration of justice in Montenegro and violating UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
The situation stems from criminal complaints filed by Radulovic against Minister Krapovic and his party regarding the procurement of two patrol boats allegedly without a public procedure, allegations which the Ministry of Defence rejected. Following these complaints, Minister Krapovic publicly asserted that Radulovic was part of an organized crime team and warned him he would be held accountable, suggesting Radulovic was "next," while also accusing him of involvement in actions targeting the Director of the Police Administration. Despite Radulovic having filed numerous criminal complaints, the text notes that the Minister presented no evidence to support his accusations, and the Ministry of Defence rejected related allegations.
Full Take
The narrative illustrates a clear tension between the exercise of state authority and the necessary autonomy of legal professionals operating within the justice system. The core dynamic involves the use of high political office to delegitimize legitimate professional advocacy, specifically targeting a lawyer's right to represent clients and pursue legal complaints without reprisal. The pattern observed is an attempt by state actors, through their representatives, to shift accountability for systemic issues—such as procurement irregularities or police administration matters—onto the individual pursuing them, framing this pursuit as criminal association rather than legitimate professional duty.
The implications suggest a potential chilling effect on judicial oversight, where challenging administrative or procurement decisions risks being reframed as involvement in wider criminal conspiracies. The ICJ's call for public disavowal and independent investigation directly confronts an institutional attempt to control the narrative surrounding legal representation. This reflects a broader pattern where established mechanisms of accountability—like police investigations or prosecutorial review—are bypassed when powerful political figures intervene, suggesting that procedural legitimacy is secondary to political expediency in determining who bears responsibility. The persistent theme suggests that freedom of expression and professional independence are contingent upon neutralizing external threats, which necessitates robust external scrutiny, as evidenced by the ICJ's intervention addressing the fundamental rights guaranteed under international law for lawyers.
What if the definition of "organized crime" is applied solely to criminal enterprises, rather than encompassing the necessary, adversarial functions undertaken by legal counsel? What mechanisms exist to prevent high-level political actors from using public platforms to weaponize suspicion against legal advocates pursuing legitimate administrative redress? How can systems ensure that complaints lodged against state bodies are assessed solely on their substantive merits, insulated from political maneuvering that seeks to assign criminal culpability based on professional engagement?
Sentinel — Human
This text functions as a structured report linking specific political accusations in Montenegro to violations of international human rights standards regarding the role of lawyers, exhibiting a high degree of analytical narrative construction.