Podgorica, (MINA) - The High Court’s decision to order detention of former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Milutin Simovic represents a continuation of the judiciary’s brutal crackdown on former state officials, aimed at criminalizing the previous government, the parliamentary club of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) said.

They argue that the decision to detain Simovic for 30 days is an expression of the personal revenge against the most prominent representatives of the former government.

“That’s how Simovic, who for 20 years held the positions of minister, deputy prime minister, MP and deputy parliament speaker, was selected to be arrested in handcuffs and sent to Spuz on suspicion of misusing EUR 5,000 over a three-year period, while officials of the current government cause such damage on a daily basis”, according to the press release of the DPS parliamentary club.

The DPS parliamentary club assessed that the case is a form of “Stalinist persecution” of both former and current officials of the party.

“But this too will pass, and the time will come for re-examine the responsibility of all those who are participating in this”, the press release said.