Democratic Party Promises to Sue Progressives over Incidents during Pancevo Rally

Leaders of POKS and Democratic Party of Serbia (BetaPhoto/POKS Info Service)

The Democratic Party promised on May 22 to take action against the Serbian Progressive Party for “having violated the freedom of movement” guaranteed by the Constitution of Serbia to the citizens attending a political rally held in Pancevo, on May 19.

“The footage that shocked and disturbed additionally the citizens of Serbia shows security guards keeping the people attending the rally from moving freely and leaving the rally. Everything happened next to police officers, humiliated and degraded to the degree that has prevented them from doing their job and arresting the Progressive Party’s activists who didn’t allow the citizens to leave the rally,” the Democrats said in a release.

Ivan Ninic, a lawyer, said in a comment for BETA that the organizers of the Progressives’ rally in Pancevo committed several criminal offenses, as the participants “were unlawfully captured and their freedom of movement was restricted.”

“The fundamental constitutional principles have been suspended in this case. The organizers of the rally in Pancevo treated the attendants in an inhumane and uncivilized manner,” the lawyer argued.

Ninic also said that the organization of the next Progressive meeting in Belgrade, on May 26, was also in breach of the Constitution, laws and fundamental human rights, unveiling “the brutal abuse of public resources under the Progressive Party’s control.”