Montenegro Denies Entry to 87 Men on Charter Flight from Belgrade Amid Security Concerns

Montenegro denied entry to 87 men arriving on a charter flight from Belgrade, stating they were security risks. The aircraft was sent back to Serbia the same day, as Tivat prepared to host the EU-Western Balkans Summit. Jelena Jovanovic, a journalist for Vijesti, stated that some of the denied passengers had "actively participated in the suppression of student protests" in Serbia. The election watchdog CRTA also identified individuals on the passenger list who had acted as "quasi-observers" in recent Serbian elections. Jovanovic added that the group included individuals from sports with ties to the Serbian president and his party. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic had alluded to potential issues beforehand. The Montenegrin police labeled the incident "hybrid activity," and the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced an investigation. CRTA noted that eight names on the passenger list matched accredited observers from government-linked "quasi-observation" missions in recent election cycles.

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individuals who actively participated in the suppression of student protests