PODGORICA, Montenegro — A Montenegro court has sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were convicted of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO.

Chief judge Suzana Mugosa said Thursday the two Russians, identified as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were convicted of "attempted terrorism" and "creating a criminal organization." The two were being tried in absentia.

Shishmakov received a 15-year prison term while Popov got 12 years. Two leading ethnic Serb opposition politicians were sentenced to five years each.

The verdict says the group planned to take over parliament on election day on Oct. 16, 2016, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russia, anti-NATO leadership. </s> May 10 (UPI) -- A Montenegro court Thursday found 14 people including two suspected Russian agents guilty of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government in 2016 to prevent it from joining NATO.

Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, operatives with the Russian military intelligence agency formerly called G.R.U., were convicted of attempted terrorism and having created a criminal organization. Shishmakov was also convicted of inciting acts against the constitution and safety of Montenegro, the United Kingdom confirmed.

Shishmakov was sentenced to 15 years in prison while Popov was sentenced to 12 years, Montenegro's CDM reported.

They were tried in absentia and are believed to be in Russia.

Judge Susana Mugosa said the two Russians "knowingly tried to terrorize Montenegrins, attack others, threaten and hurt basic constitutional and social structures," the New York Times reported.

Two leaders of the left-wing Democratic Front opposition party Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic were each sentenced to five years in prison for coordinating with the two Russians. Neither was present during sentencing.

Mandic and Knezevic said they will appeal the verdict, Balkan Insight reported.

"This is a breaking point for Montenegro," Mandic said in a press conference. "We don't accept arrests."

He then accused Montenegro President Milo Dukanovic and his brother, Aleksander Dukanovic, of lying that there was an attempted coup while urging Serbia to speak out against their convictions.

"We Serbs in Montenegro will not be slaves," Knezevic said.

Former commander of an elite Serbian police unit Bratislav Dikic, who was arrested in October, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The other defendants received sentences ranging from one to eight years.

According to the verdict, the group had planned to assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Dukanovic on election day Oct. 16, 2016, and install a pro-Russian, anti-NATO leader.

The coup was thwarted by police after receiving a tip by Western spy organizations, Al Jazeera reported.

Russia has denied any involvement in the attempted coup.

The U.S. embassy in the capital of Podgorica said the verdict was a "historic day for the rule of law in Montenegro."

"The open and transparent trial represents an important step forward for the rule of law and sends a strong message about the unacceptability of efforts to undermine democracy," the office said in a tweet.

The 2016 election was largely seen as a referendum on joining NATO, which Montenegro had agreed to but not formally ratified.

Some 20 Serbian nationalists were arrested on the eve of the election with the 14 convicted Thursday being charged of plotting the overthrow of the country.

Montenegro joined NATO June 5, 2017, some 11 years after it gained independence.

The United Kingdom said the failed coup was "one of the most outrageous examples of Russia's attempts to undermine European democracy."

"The G.R.U.'s brazen attempt to interfere with Montenegro's national elections and undermine Montenegro's application to join NATO is yet another example of destabilizing and aggressive Russian behavior over the last decade," U.K.'s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said.

The guilty verdicts were the product of "unprecedented transparency" while Russia's claims the two men were researching Russian military in the region during the first world war for an article "were proven to be absurd."

He then demanded that Russia stop attacking other nations' democratic process while calling on Moscow to uphold the security of Europe and fulfil its responsibilities to the United Nations Security Council.

The U.S. State Department echoed the U.K.'s message, calling the verdicts a "clear victory for the rule of law" while "laying bare Russia's brazen attempt to undermine the sovereignty of an independent European nation."

"The United States is proud to count Montenegro as an ally and will continue to support Montenegro in its efforts to strengthen the rule of law, protect media freedom and advance other reforms needed to join the European Union," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. </s> PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) - A Montenegro court on Thursday sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were convicted of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO.

Chief judge Suzana Mugosa said the two Russians, identified as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were convicted of "attempted terrorism" and "creating a criminal organization." The two were tried in absentia.

Shishmakov received a 15-year prison term while Popov got 12 years. Two leading ethnic Serb opposition politicians, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were sentenced to five years each.

The verdict said the group planned to take over parliament on election day on Oct. 16, 2016, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russia, anti-NATO leadership.

Montenegro joined NATO in June 2017 as the Western military alliance's 29th member despite strong opposition from Moscow, which considers the small Adriatic country a historic Slavic ally and is opposed to NATO's enlargement.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in the coup attempt. Montenegro's police thwarted the action after receiving tips from Western spy organizations, authorities said.

Montenegro police officers guard the entrance to the court during the verdict in the case of ''attempted terrorism'' and ''creating a criminal organization'', in Podgorica, Montenegro, Thursday, May 9, 2019. A court in Montenegro has sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic)

The Russian pair, said to be members of the Russian military secret service agency GRU, coordinated the attempted coup from neighboring Serbia, the verdict said. They were allowed by Serbia's pro-Russia authorities to leave for Moscow despite reports that they operated with sophisticated spy equipment.

The judge said that the Russians provided at least 200,000 euros for the purchase of rifles and guns.

The two tried to recruit "as many people as possible to come to the protest" and try to "change the electoral will" and "prevent Montenegro from joining NATO."

The judge said that the two ethnic Serb politicians made several trips to Moscow on the eve of the election where they were believed to get instructions from the GRU operatives.

Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia.

Montenegro police officers guard the entrance to the court building during the verdict in the case of ''attempted terrorism'' and ''creating a criminal organization'', in Podgorica, Montenegro, Thursday, May 9, 2019. A court in Montenegro has sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic) </s> PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A Montenegro court on Thursday sentenced two Russian military intelligence operatives and 11 others to up to 15 years in prison for plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO.

The two Russians, identified as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were tried in absentia and convicted of attempted terrorism and creating a criminal organization.

The verdict said the group planned to take over the parliament in Montenegro on election day — Oct. 16, 2016 — assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russia, anti-NATO leadership in the Adriatic Sea nation.

The U.S. Embassy in the capital of Podgorica said the verdict against the reported operatives from the GRU Russian military intelligence service and others represents a "historic day for the rule of law" in Montenegro.

"The open and transparent trial represents an important step forward for the rule of law and sends a strong message about the unacceptability of efforts to undermine democracy," the U.S. Embassy said.

The U.S. and its allies have accused the GRU of involvement in a 2018 nerve agent attack on a Russian ex-spy in Britain, hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and disrupting anti-doping efforts in world sports. Russian authorities have rejected those accusations, calling them part of a Western smear campaign against Russia.

Shishmakov received a 15-year prison term while Popov got 12 years. Two leading ethnic Serb opposition politicians, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were sentenced to five years each. The other nine others convicted received verdicts ranging from 8 years in jail to suspended sentences.

Montenegro joined NATO in June 2017 as the military alliance's 29th member despite strong opposition from Moscow, which considers the country a historic Slavic ally and is opposed to NATO's enlargement.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in the Montenegro coup plot.

Shishmakov, however, had been a deputy military attache at the Russian embassy in Warsaw and was declared persona non grata in Poland in 2014 because it believed he was involved in spying.

Montenegro's security services said they thwarted the coup attempt after receiving tips from Western spy organizations.

The lawyers for the convicted Serbs said they will appeal, calling the verdict "a political fabrication."

"What I heard today is a political message: the Russian Federation is guilty, the Serbian people are guilty," said lawyer Miroje Jovanovic. "That's really scandalous."

The verdict said the two convicted Russians coordinated the attempted coup from neighboring Serbia. They were allowed by Serbia's pro-Russia authorities to leave for Moscow despite reports that they had encrypted mobile phones and other sophisticated spy equipment.

The judge in Montenegro, Suzana Mugosa, said while reading the lengthy verdict that the Russians provided at least 200,000 euros ($224,500) to buy rifles and guns. She said they tried to recruit "as many people as possible to come to the protest" and try to "change the electoral will" and prevent Montenegro from joining NATO.

The judge said the two ethnic Serb politicians made several trips on the eve of the election to Moscow, where they were believed to have gotten instructions from the GRU operatives.

"Each member of the criminal organization had a task and role that had been previously determined and the criminal organization was ready to implement violence and intimidation," she said.

This story corrects the length of sentences given to nine other defendants to ranging from 8 years in jail to suspended sentences.

Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia. </s> PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A Montenegro court on Thursday sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were convicted of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO.

Chief judge Suzana Mugosa said the two Russians, identified as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were convicted of "attempted terrorism" and "creating a criminal organization." The two were tried in absentia.

Shishmakov received a 15-year prison term while Popov got 12 years. Two leading ethnic Serb opposition politicians, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were sentenced to five years each.

The verdict said the group planned to take over parliament on election day on Oct. 16, 2016, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russia, anti-NATO leadership.

Montenegro joined NATO in June 2017 as the Western military alliance's 29th member despite strong opposition from Moscow, which considers the small Adriatic country a historic Slavic ally and is opposed to NATO's enlargement.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in the coup attempt. Montenegro's police thwarted the action after receiving tips from Western spy organizations, authorities said.

The lawyer of one of the convicted Serbs said he will appeal.

"The Russian Federation has been charged and sentenced with this political pamphlet," said Miroje Jovanovic, referring to the verdict.

The Russian pair, said to be members of the Russian military secret service agency GRU, coordinated the attempted coup from neighboring Serbia, the verdict said. They were allowed by Serbia's pro-Russia authorities to leave for Moscow despite reports that they operated with sophisticated spy equipment.

The judge said that the Russians provided at least 200,000 euros for the purchase of rifles and guns.

She said two tried to recruit "as many people as possible to come to the protest" and try to "change the electoral will" and "prevent Montenegro from joining NATO."

The judge said that the two ethnic Serb politicians made several trips to Moscow on the eve of the election where they were believed to get instructions from the GRU operatives.

"Each member of the criminal organization had a task and role that had been previously determined and the criminal organization was ready to implement violence and intimidation," she said.

The United States and its allies have accused the GRU of involvement in the 2018 nerve agent attack on a Russian ex-spy in Britain, hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and disrupting anti-doping efforts in world sports. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations, calling them part of a Western smear campaign.

Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia. </s> A court in Montenegro has sentenced alleged Russian military intelligence agents, opposition politicians and a number of associates to jail terms over an alleged 2016 attempt to organise a coup in the country and prevent it from joining Nato.

The chief judge, Suzana Mugoša, said Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, alleged GRU agents, were guilty of attempted terrorism and creating a criminal organisation, and handed them sentences of 15 and 12 years respectively. The pair were tried in absentia. Two politicians, Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević, were each sentenced to five years in jail.

If the prosecutors’ account of events at the trial is correct, the coup attempt would represent one of the most audacious Russian foreign policy gambits in recent times. The verdict said the group intended to take over parliament on election day in October 2016, assassinate the then prime minister, Milo Đukanović, and install a pro-Kremlin leadership.

Montenegro authorities claim the plot was thwarted on the basis of tipoffs from western spy agencies, and the suspects rounded up before the plan could be put into action. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has previously dismissed allegations of Russian involvement as “absurd”, claiming Russia does not meddle in the internal affairs of other countries.

The verdict handed down on Thursday said the Russian pair coordinated the attempted coup from Serbia and were allowed to leave the country by Serbian authorities. Diplomatic sources told the Guardian at the time that the Russians were allowed to leave the country on the plane of Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia’s security council.

A source close to the Belgrade government told the Guardian at the time that Patrushev, a former head of Russia’s FSB domestic security service, apologised for what he called a rogue operation that was conducted without the Kremlin’s sanction. A Russian security council official responded to the Guardian report by saying Patrushev “didn’t apologise to anyone, because there is nothing to apologise for”.

The investigation website Bellingcat has identified the two Russians sentenced on Thursday as probable GRU agents operating under pseudonyms.

The judge said the aim of the coup was “to change the electoral will” of the people and “prevent Montenegro from joining Nato”. She said she believed the two politicians had travelled to Moscow to take instructions from GRU operatives.

The GRU has been accused of a number of audacious operations in recent years, including the 2018 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury using the nerve agent novichok, and hacking the 2016 US presidential campaign.

The details of the Montenegro plot remain murky, and sceptics have pointed to a number of oddities about the way the coup suspects were rounded up, discrepancies in the prosecution testimony and key witnesses recanting their testimony.

A source in Serbia told the Guardian recently that the coup plot story was “all true, but it was terribly organised”. Others have speculated that there may have been a genuine plot to cause disruption on election day, but that Montenegrin authorities exaggerated the details.

Mandić and Knežević have dismissed the court case as politically motivated and an attempt to remove them from public life. The two men, both ethnic Serbs, are strong opponents of Đukanović and of Montenegro’s Nato membership. The country joined the alliance in 2017, despite an almost 50/50 split inside Montenegro between supporters and opponents of the move.

Đukanović, who supported Nato accession, has been the most powerful man in Montenegro since 1991. His critics say western partners turn a blind eye to corruption and rule of law issues due to his pro-western stance. </s> PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A Montenegro court on Thursday sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were convicted of plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government and prevent it from joining NATO.

Chief judge Suzana Mugosa said the two Russians, identified as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were convicted of "attempted terrorism" and "creating a criminal organization." The two were tried in absentia.

Shishmakov received a 15-year prison term while Popov got 12 years. Two leading ethnic Serb opposition politicians, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were sentenced to five years each.

The verdict said the group planned to take over parliament on election day on Oct. 16, 2016, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russia, anti-NATO leadership.

Montenegro joined NATO in June 2017 as the Western military alliance's 29th member despite strong opposition from Moscow, which considers the small Adriatic country a historic Slavic ally and is opposed to NATO's enlargement.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in the coup attempt. Montenegro's police thwarted the action after receiving tips from Western spy organizations, authorities said.

The Russian pair, said to be members of the Russian military secret service agency GRU, coordinated the attempted coup from neighboring Serbia, the verdict said. They were allowed by Serbia's pro-Russia authorities to leave for Moscow despite reports that they operated with sophisticated spy equipment.

The judge said that the Russians provided at least 200,000 euros for the purchase of rifles and guns.

The two tried to recruit "as many people as possible to come to the protest" and try to "change the electoral will" and "prevent Montenegro from joining NATO."

The judge said that the two ethnic Serb politicians made several trips to Moscow on the eve of the election where they were believed to get instructions from the GRU operatives.

Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia. </s> Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov. Both men are said to be members of the GRU, Russian military intelligence

A Montenegro court has sentenced 13 people, including two men believed to be Russian spies, after they were convicted of plotting a coup in 2016.

Chief judge Suzana Mugosa said the two Russians, identified as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were convicted of "attempted terrorism" and "creating a criminal organisation."

The two were tried in absentia.

Two leading ethnic Serb opposition politicians, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were sentenced to five years each.

The verdict said the group planned to take over parliament on election day on 16 October 2016, assassinate then-Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and install a pro-Russia, anti-NATO leadership.

Montenegro became independent in 2006 and joined NATO in 2017 as the Western military alliance’s 29th member, despite strong opposition from Moscow.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in the coup attempt.

Montenegro is politically split. Much of the population is in favour of closer ties with Europe but a sizeable proportion would rather stay close to Moscow.

Montenegro's police thwarted the coup attempt after receiving tips from Western spy organisations, authorities said.

The Russian pair, said to be members of the Russian military secret service agency GRU, coordinated the attempted coup from neighbouring Serbia, the verdict said.

They were allowed by Serbia's pro-Russia authorities to leave for Moscow despite reports that they operated with sophisticated spy equipment.

The judge said that the Russians provided at least €200,000 (roughly £170,000) for the purchase of rifles and guns.

The two tried to recruit "as many people as possible to come to the protest" and try to "change the electoral will" and "prevent Montenegro from joining NATO".

The judge said the two ethnic Serb politicians had made several trips to Moscow on the eve of the election where they were believed to get instructions from the GRU operatives.

The coup attempt went largely unnoticed at the time - partly because of the US presidential elections - but has attracted increased interest across Europe as further details have come to light.

The trial of alleged coup attempt participants became the largest in Montenegrin history.

It is also believed to be the first time serving GRU officers have been charged with terrorism offences and criminal activity in a European country. </s> The judicial authorities of Montenegro have today (9 May) announced that 2 Russian intelligence officers have been found guilty of plotting an attempted coup in Montenegro, which took place in 2016.

GRU agents Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov were tried in absentia for creating a criminal organisation and attempted terrorism. Shishmakov was also tried for inciting acts against the constitution and safety of Montenegro.

The failed coup attempt against Montenegro in 2016 was one of the most outrageous examples of Russia’s attempts to undermine European democracy. The GRU’s brazen attempt to interfere with Montenegro’s national elections and undermine Montenegro’s application to join NATO is yet another example of destabilising and aggressive Russian behaviour over the last decade. The guilty verdicts announced today against the 2 Russian intelligence officers responsible for plotting this coup were the conclusion of Montenegrin legal proceedings of unprecedented transparency. In the face of such overwhelming evidence, Russia’s claims that the 2 men were researching an article about the Russian military in the region during the First World War were proven to be absurd. Russia is a great country and central to European civilisation. Moscow must desist from any attacks that undermine the territorial integrity and democratic processes of its neighbours or other sovereign states. The UK calls on Russia to choose a different path – to uphold the security of Europe, respect the rules based international system that keeps our societies safe, and to work together with us to fulfil our common responsibilities as permanent members of the UN Security Council.
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Russian officials are sentenced for a 2016 coup attempt in Montenegro.