MPs from Montenegro’s opposition Democratic Front have returned to parliament for the first time since October 16 general election in an attempt to protect one of their leaders – Nebojsa Medojevic – from being arrested. Medojevic’s immunity was lifted late on June 29 upon the request of the special prosecution.

Medojevic is the third DF leader whose immunity was lifted this year. In February, the parliament stripped immunity from Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, who are suspected of participating in a coup plot aimed at seizing power in Montenegro after the October 2016 general election. While the DF’s members claim this is an attack against them by the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the prosecution says it has enough proof to charge the party’s leaders. 

Medojevic was under investigation for money laundering, and at the beginning of June the special prosecution asked the parliament to strip him of his parliamentary immunity. Prosecutors said the DF leader was a member of illegal organisation and was in charge of organising a group of people who had distributed illegally gained money to other individuals who then donated the sums to the DF.

Although the DF MPs did not vote on Medojevic’s immunity on June 29, they participated in the debate. After the vote, they decided to spend the night in the parliament to protect Medojevic in case the prosecution issued an arrest warrant, a statement on the website of Pokret za Promjene, one of the parties comprising the DF, said.

During the debate, they once again claimed that Montenegro was on the brink of a civil war.

“We are not a naïve organisation when someone threatens us, and now we are very threatened,” Mandic said during the debate, claiming that the ruling coalition was “playing with the peace in the country”.

The party has many times threatened clashes or even a civil war, but analysts believe this is only rhetoric used to attract attention and boost its support. So far, the only clashes involving party members and supporters were with the police during protests in autumn 2015. Its members also tried to physically abuse DPS MPs after the immunity of Mandic and Knezevic was lifted.

The prosecution claims it has gathered enough evidence against Medojevic after arresting three other members of the alleged criminal group who have already testified. They say the money allegedly laundered by the group was used by the DF to finance its election campaign last year.

The special prosecution has been investigating the DF over the source of funding for its campaign since May. According to local politicians, the party has received substantial sums from Russia.

The DF is believed to have received funds from offshore bank accounts, which were split into small amounts and wired to local individuals and firms related to the DF. The money was then officially donated to the party for its campaign.