Alija Balijagić receives 40‑year prison term for double murder in Montenegro

The Court of Appeals in Montenegro upheld the conviction of Alija Balijagić, sentencing him to 40 years imprisonment for the murders of siblings Jovan and Milenke Madžgalj in the village of Sokolac near Bijelo Polje on 25 October 2024, and for illegal possession of a CZ M93 hunting rifle used in the killings.

Psychiatric experts testified that Balijagić suffers from a dissocial personality disorder with pronounced narcissistic traits but no mental illness that would impair his criminal responsibility. The appellate court rejected the defence’s challenge, confirming the lower court’s finding that the murders were carried out in a pre‑meditated, “cold‑blooded” manner. While held in investigative detention in Spuž, Balijagić is kept isolated from other inmates and, according to fellow prisoners, shows no remorse or emotional response, complying with orders unemotionally.