Police is searching for Lidija Mitrović: She is evading serving a prison sentence

The Police Directorate has issued a warrant for the former Special State Prosecutor Lidija Mitrović, who, according to police officials, failed to report voluntarily to serve her prison sentence.

Mitrović had previously submitted a request to the court to postpone the execution of her prison sentence, which, according to police information, was not approved.

- Officers of the Podgorica Security Department, acting on the order of the Basic Court in Podgorica for the forced bringing in of the convicted Lidija Mitrović, who failed to report voluntarily to serve her prison sentence, visited her registered residence and places of stay on several occasions. She was not found at any of those locations, and members of her family provided conflicting information regarding her whereabouts within the territory of Podgorica or Budva - the police said in a statement.

The Police Directorate claims that officers visited all listed addresses where Mitrović was not located, and that the competent court was informed accordingly.

- Taking into account that Mitrović did not report voluntarily to serve her prison sentence, but instead is avoiding it, as we have stated, officers of the Police Directorate informed the competent court of all established facts, based on which a warrant was issued for this person with the aim of locating her and bringing her in to serve her prison sentence - the police statement reads.

They added that further activities aimed at locating Mitrović are ongoing.

- We will also activate other legally permitted mechanisms in order to ensure that the convicted person is brought in to serve the prison sentence - the Police Directorate said.

Mitrović requested a postponement of serving the seven-month prison sentence to which she was convicted for abuse of office in the „Klap“ case.

The High Court in Podgorica had previously found Mitrović guilty for dismissing criminal complaints for tax evasion against four individuals and one legal entity after the defendants had paid their outstanding tax liabilities.

Although the verdict is final, Mitrović has not yet begun serving her sentence. The Basic Court in Podgorica confirmed that her request for postponement was rejected on October 24, after which she filed an appeal, which was decided by the High court.

The prison sentence was imposed at the end of 2024 in a retrial, after the Court of Appeal overturned the initial decision and returned the case for a new trial. In May 2025, the second-instance court upheld the new verdict.

The law provides for the possibility of postponing a prison sentence in special circumstances, such as serious illness, a death in the family, or completion of education.

During the proceedings, Mitrović claimed that the complaints she dismissed contained no elements of a criminal offense, while the High Court and the Court of Appeal concluded that, as a public official, she unlawfully abused her position and applied the deferral of criminal prosecution even though she knew that this legal mechanism could not be used in cases of tax evasion.