Standard: Podgorica man stormed newsroom, shouted at editor and journalist, demanded Executive Director be „brought to him“
A visibly agitated and aggressive man, Nikola Marović from Podgorica, forcibly entered the newsroom of the Standard news portal in Podgorica yesterday morning, demanding to speak with the portal's Executive Director, Jasmina Muminović, the outlet reported.
At the time of the incident, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Amra Tahirović and journalist Kristina Perković were in the newsroom. They attempted to determine the reason for his visit and offer assistance. However, instead of engaging in conversation, Marović displayed extremely aggressive and threatening behaviour.
Raising his voice, Marović demanded that the Executive Director come to the newsroom immediately. He repeatedly asked where she lived and insisted that the journalists call her at once so that she could, as he put it, be „brought to him“ („nacrta“, a colloquial expression meaning to make someone appear immediately). When his demands were not met, he began shouting at both journalists, invading their personal space, attempting to intimidate them, and refusing to let them speak or make any effort to calm the situation.
Throughout the incident, Marović persistently ordered the two journalists to leave the newsroom, threatening to throw them out and repeatedly telling them to go outside. In doing so, he prevented them from carrying out their work, disrupted the newsroom's operations, and caused them significant stress and distress.
After the journalists unsuccessfully attempted to establish normal communication and understand the reason for his visit, Marović struck a desk in the office with his fist, continued shouting, and again demanded that they immediately leave the premises. He then left the office and went downstairs. Shortly afterwards, it was noticed that the key to the newsroom had disappeared.
The incident was immediately reported to the police, who arrived at the scene. Soon afterward, Executive Director Jasmina Muminović also arrived and found Marović standing in the newsroom hallway in the presence of two police officers.
While the journalists, for safety reasons, waited outside the newsroom in offices on the floor above for additional police officers to arrive, the key that had previously gone missing reappeared in the lock of the newsroom's entrance door.
Police officers collected initial statements at the scene, after which Marović was taken into custody.
Executive Director Jasmina Muminović, together with Amra Tahirović and Kristina Perković, gave statements at the Podgorica Security Centre, describing all the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Later that evening, proceedings continued before the Misdemeanour Court, where Marović was questioned as the defendant, while the editor and journalist testified as witnesses, along with the Executive Director of the Standard portal.
Initially, the journalists were unaware of the motive behind Marović's actions, leading them to suspect that the intrusion may have been motivated by dissatisfaction with the editorial work of the Standard portal. However, in his defence before the court, Marović stated that the reasons for his visit and conduct were related to a municipal services issue.
The Misdemeanour Court informed the Standard portal that the presiding judge would issue a decision within the statutory 15-day period. Responding to a question as to whether any measures had been imposed on Marović following the hearing, court spokesperson Judge Ana Bokan reiterated that no decision had yet been rendered, indicating that, following the actions of the competent authorities, Marović had been released pending the outcome of the proceedings.