# Balkan organized crime trial proceedings

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-organized-crime-trial-proceedings
> Updated: 2026-09-28T15:16:43.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

Legal proceedings involving high-profile organized crime figures in the Balkans have encountered significant procedural challenges. In Montenegro, Slobodan Kašćelan, a leader of the Kavač clan, disrupted a murder trial in Podgorica by refusing to sit in the defendant’s dock. Kašćelan, who cited health issues stemming from a multi-day hunger strike, stated, “I am not a donkey,” and requested a medical examination. While a medical expert initially determined the defendants were capable of participating, the defense continued to argue for psychiatric rather than pathological evaluations.

Recent developments show the scope of these trials expanding across the region. In Belgrade, the trial of Veljko Belivuk’s group has introduced evidence from the Sky encrypted app, allegedly detailing the 2020 murders of Igor Dedović and Stevan Stamatović in Athens. The defense requested the recusal of prosecutor Saša Ivanić after his name appeared in communications, but the request was denied. Additionally, the Vračar clan trial in Belgrade has presented intercepted communications regarding planned liquidations and sex workers.

In Montenegro, proceedings involving the Kavač clan and figures such as Ljubo Milović have focused on communications regarding cocaine smuggling through European ports, including Antwerp and Hamburg. Meanwhile, the Ljubljana District Court in Slovenia is approaching a verdict in a Kavač clan case. Prosecutors there have requested a total of 110 years and six months in prison for 14 defendants, with Klemen Kadivč facing a proposed 15-year sentence.

## Claims

- Prosecution claims Sky messages show group members discussing the murders of Igor Dedović and Stevan Stamatović in Athens (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Defense claims a Sky message refers to prosecutor Saša Ivanić as 'our man' (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The judge rejected the defense's request to recuse the prosecutors (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Prosecution proposes a total of 110 years and 6 months in prison for the Kavač clan defendants in Slovenia (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Klemen Kadivč faces a maximum proposed sentence of 15 years in Slovenia (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Executors of the murders were allegedly promised 300,000 euros each (single source)
- The trial involves 19 people charged with four murders (single source)
- The Vračar clan trial in Belgrade includes evidence of planned murders and discussions about sex workers (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-28: Organized crime trials continue across the Balkans involving Kavač and Belivuk groups

Major organized crime trials involving the Kavač and Belivuk groups continue in Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia, featuring Sky app evidence of murders and drug trafficking.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/balkan-organized-crime-trials-face-legal-challenges-and-allegations-of-bias

### 2026-09-22: Slobodan Kašćelan disrupts murder trial in Podgorica

Slobodan Kašćelan, a leader of the Kavač clan, disrupted a murder trial in Podgorica by refusing to sit, citing illness and a hunger strike.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/slobodan-kaelan-disrupts-murder-trial-in-podgorica

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Cite as: Balkan organized crime trial proceedings. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-organized-crime-trial-proceedings