Attorney: Dacic Confirmed That Dictatorship Has Taken Deep Root in Serbia

Ivica Dacic (BetaPhoto/Serbian Ministry of Interior)

The attorney Nikola Lakic has said that Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed on Aug. 26 that "the Aleksandar Vucic regime" has lists of Serbian citizens targeted for methods of repression by the Interior Ministry and the Security and Information Agency when entering or leaving the country, which indicates that "dictatorship has taken deep root in Serbia."

Lakic told BETA that the police had unlawfully harassed citizens based on those lists and exerted pressure on them as they were entering or leaving the country merely because some statement or opinion of theirs did not align with those of the ruling party.

"It is indisputable fact that every state has lists of persons perpetrating acts of organized crime or terrorism, thus threatening the security of the state. The problem, however, is that the Serbian police services' lists also include persons committing verbal delict and should not be the object of repressive action," the attorney said.

Dacic said earlier on Aug. 26 that police services had lists for monitoring citizens, but did not explain who had compiled those lists and under what criteria.

"Citizen monitoring lists will be thrown out except in cases when criminal acts, terrorism or danger to state security are suspected. We will throw out all lists so that there are no abuses," Dacic said.