A serious political scandal has shaken Montenegro after the publication on social media of a compromising video involving a senior state official and a former security official, currently an advisor to the country's President.
Mirjana Pajković, director for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, and Dejan Vukšić, former director of the National Security Agency and advisor to the President of Montenegro, who is married, have resigned after the distribution of the material, which has caused strong reactions in public opinion and state institutions.
In a public statement, Pajković said she was the victim of blackmail and threats by Vukšić, claiming she was unaware of the existence of the video until its release. She said she was put under constant pressure and told that “there would be no place to hide or live in Montenegro.”
Pajković stressed that her decision to resign was personal, but that her silence was imposed through threats and intimidation. She encouraged women to refuse to remain silent in the face of such situations and to denounce any form of pressure or blackmail from those in power.
On the other hand, Dejan Vukšić has denied all charges, stating that he has no responsibility for the publication of the video and that he saw the material for the first time only after it began to circulate illegally on social networks. He has also accused Pajković of phone theft and blackmail attempts related to his candidacy for the position of judge on the Constitutional Court.
Both sides have filed criminal charges. Pajković has denounced the unauthorized distribution of private materials and claimed to have received threats from a landline connected to the President's office. According to her, a recorded message warned that "all of Montenegro would see" the compromising material.
Authorities have not yet confirmed who is behind the release of the video. Meanwhile, distributing intimate material without consent is a criminal offense in Montenegro and is punishable by up to five years in prison.
