Nikola Bulatović

Bulatović started his career in his hometown team Budućnost Podgorica. He was part of Partizan Belgrade squad that won national league and cup in 1994–95 season. He helped FMP Železnik to win their first national cup trophy in 1997 before returning to Budućnost, where he won two consecutive national titles. He returned to Partizan for 2000–01 season before moving abroad, to Italian side Montepaschi Siena. He was the part of the side that won the last ever Saporta Cup trophy. Next season he played for Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv. In 2003 he signed for Greek club Apollon Patras but was released in August, before the season even started. Next few months he spent in Ukraine, in Azovmash Mariupol, before getting released in February 2004.[1] Next month he rejoined his first club, Budućnost, but left soon without playing single game. He went to Romanian club CSU Asesoft Ploieşti where he was part of the squad that won EuroCup Challenge in 2005. Next season he started in Cyprus playing for AEL Limassol,[2] in January 2006 he made a brief return to Asesoft Ploieşti, and month later he signed with Igokea from Bosnia. His last known club was Beovuk, a lower league club from Belgrade.

Bulatović won gold medals at both the 1997 European Championship and 1998 World championship with the Yugoslavian national team.[3]

In 1998, Bulatović was charged with rape. The event in question took place on 27 May 1998 in his Belgrade apartment where 27-year-old Bulatović (at the time professional basketball player for FMP Železnik) reportedly raped the underage 15-year-old N.S. (at the time student at one of the Belgrade gymnasiums). At the time she was present at his apartment to complete an earlier commenced interview for a school paper. She was of legal age of consent for sexual activity according to Serbian laws at the time[4]

The first court process began in December 1998 and ended with Bulatović sentenced to three years in prison. On appeals, the verdict was overturned and a new trial in June 2003 resulted in a 5-year sentence for Bulatović.

Bulatović, who had an Interpol warrant issued for his capture since May 2009,[5] got arrested in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in December 2011.[6] Within days he was extradited to Montenegro[7] where he began serving his 5-year sentence. He was released from Spuž prison in November 2015 having served four years and fifteen days, an early release reportedly due to the expiry of statute of limitations.[8]

• Eurobasket.com profile