Svetozar Marović released; Serbia ignores Montenegro extradition pleas

Former Democratic Party of Socialists official Svetozar Marović became a free man on 10 October after the three‑year‑nine‑month prison sentence handed down by Montenegro’s Higher Court in 2016 fell under absolute prescription. Despite repeated requests from Montenegro’s Ministry of Justice, Serbian authorities did not act on the extradition demands, allowing Marović to remain in Belgrade without restriction.

Marović was arrested in December 2015, spent six months in pre‑trial detention and was released in May 2016. He later signed two plea agreements in 2016, acknowledging guilt in a criminal‑group case and agreeing to pay €1.1 million plus €100 000 for humanitarian purposes. Following the statute‑of‑limitations ruling, Interpol withdrew the international notice for him, and his son Miloš Marović, also sought by Montenegrin officials, remains in Serbia.

The episode highlights ongoing tension between the two neighboring states over legal cooperation and the handling of high‑profile political figures.