'Coup Plotters' Convicted By Montenegrin Court Promise To Resist Bravely

Members of the opposition Democratic Front (DF) party, who have been convicted earlier on Thursday by the Montenegrin court for preparing a coup back in 2016, are ready to resist bravely, one of the leaders of the party, Andrija Mandic, said

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th May, 2019) Members of the opposition Democratic Front (DF) party, who have been convicted earlier on Thursday by the Montenegrin court for preparing a coup back in 2016, are ready to resist bravely, one of the leaders of the party, Andrija Mandic, said.

Earlier in the day, Judge Suzana Mugosa said that the court found 14 people guilty of staging a failed coup attempt. The people - nationals from Montenegro, Serbia and Russia - were detained during the country's parliamentary elections back in 2016. The prosecutors insisted that they were planning to kill then Prime Minister Milo Dukanovic and seize power in order to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO.

"We do not want to attack anyone from the back, we do not want to humiliate and deceive anyone, but ... our resistance will be in every place, it will be brave and clear," Mandic said on live broadcast on Facebook.

Mandic was convicted along with two other Montenegrin citizens - Democratic Front member Milan Knezevic and Mandic's driver Mihailo Cadenovic. Also nine Serbian citizens, including commander of the specialized Gendarmery of Serbia Bratislav Dikic, were found guilty of the coup attempt.

Russian citizens Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov were tried in absentia and also convicted.

Ahead of the 2016 election, Djukanovic claimed that Moscow was financing the opposition to halt Montenegro's joining NATO. However, the local opposition believes that the entire plot was fabricated to ensure Djukanovic's tighter grip on power. Djukanovic now serves as the country's president.

Moscow has repeatedly slammed "absurd" accusation of its alleged role in the Montenegrin coup.