Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) briefly detained and then released Ivan Vuković, a Montenegrin opposition MP from the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), on March 15 in Belgrade, DPS announced.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović confirmed that Vuković had been released and was en route back to Montenegro. However, they did not disclose the reason for his detention.
DPS condemned the incident, stating that Vuković’s arrest demonstrated the Serbian government’s fear of political opposition.
“Fear has obviously magnified their perception—so much so that they see a university professor and a Montenegrin MP as a threat to the constitutional order,” DPS stated.
Vuković, a vice president of DPS and a close ally of former Montenegrin leader Milo Đukanović, was in Belgrade on March 14 and posted a video from Terazije, where Serbian citizens were gathering. His post on X read:
“Always with students! (Live from BG).”
As a former mayor of Podgorica, Vuković is known for his vocal criticism of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik, and Montenegro’s ruling coalition, which has ties to Belgrade and Banja Luka.
Following the incident, PM Spajić assured that Montenegro promptly engaged with Serbian authorities.
“The Montenegrin MP is already on his way back to Montenegro,” Spajić posted on X.
He added that while the Montenegrin government stands by its citizens, he does not support Montenegrin officials interfering in the internal politics of other countries.
