Former Police Director Reported for Misconduct Regarding Disciplinary Proceedings

The Ministry of the Interior has reported former Director General of Police Damjan Petrič to the Special Department of the State Prosecutor for suspected misconduct regarding disciplinary proceedings. According to officials, the Directorate for Police and Other Security Tasks submitted the report to the prosecutor on October 30, 2026. The investigation focuses on the timing of disciplinary actions taken against officers involved in a 2024 police intervention that resulted in a fatality.

Background of the 2024 Intervention

The incident that triggered these legal proceedings occurred on December 8, 2024, on Čopova Street in Ljubljana. During the intervention, police officers used coercive measures on Armin Đutović, which caused the individual to lose consciousness. Following the intervention, Armin Đutović died in a hospital three days later. Officials stated that the death was caused by severe brain injuries resulting from oxygen deprivation.

In response to the incident, the State Prosecutor filed charges against six police officers. Following these charges, Damjan Petrič initiated disciplinary proceedings against the same six officers on April 14. However, on June 15, the competent authority terminated all six disciplinary proceedings because the statute of limitations had expired. Following the termination of the proceedings, the officer who had used coercive measures was transferred on June 22 to the operational-communication center to perform unit tasks instead of field work.

Ministry Response and Current Investigation

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration stated in late September 2026 that disciplinary measures or the extraordinary termination of employment were possible for the officers involved in the incident. Regarding the scope of the investigation, the Ministry of the Interior decided not to revoke the police powers of the other officers. This decision was made because the charge of failure to assist a dying person cannot be classified as a police power violation.

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration stated that the police are conducting an internal security procedure regarding the report submitted to the Special Department of the State Prosecutor. The current investigation into Damjan Petrič seeks to determine if there was misconduct in office regarding how the disciplinary proceedings were handled following the death of Armin Đutović.

Glossary

• coercive measures — These are economic measures taken by one State to compel a change in the policy of another State. They include trade sanctions such as embargoes and the interruption of financial and investment flows.
• Ministry of the Interior and Public Administration — This body is responsible for the duties of the former Ministry of the Interior, the former Ministry of Digital Transformation, and the former Ministry of Public Administration, excluding local self-government.
• police powers — These are legal authorities granted to police agencies. In the context of railway constables, they are given full powers within 500 meters of property owned, possessed, or administered by the railway company.