Montenegro Jails Editor's Killer For 19 Years

A court in Podgorica on Thursday jailed Damir Mandic for 19 years for his role in the murder of the prominent Montenegrin journalist Dusko Jovanovic.

Jovanovic, editor-in-chief and owner of the daily newspaper Dan, well known for his opposition to the government, was shot dead leaving his office in Podgorica on May 27 2004. He had received numerous death threats before his death.

Judge Vesna Mostrokol said it was "indisputably proven" that Mandic, along with other as yet unknown perpetrators, participated in the murder.

Mandic's legal representatives said there was not enough evidence for the conviction.

Prior to the sentence, lawyer Velibor Markovic said if his client was convicted he would appeal to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Mandic was originally jailed for 30 years in 2009. The verdict was overturned in July 2014, forcing a new trial. He  is the only perpetrator to be convicted in relation to the murder.

The masterminds behind the crime remain at large.

The third consecutive trial in the Jovanovic case began in February.

Mandic accused the police of "planting evidence". He said he had been kept in prison for 10 years although he was innocent, claiming that the alleged evidence had been taken illegally from the crime scene and contrary to the orders of the investigating authorities.

Earlier, the OSCE representative on media freedom, Dunja Mijatovic, urged the authorities to end the apparent climate of impunity concerning attacks on journalists.

"I urge the authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation in the case of Jovanovic to identify those behind the crime and bring them to justice," Mijatovic said.