Multiple Calls for Rally over Extension of Activists’ Detention

BETAPHOTO/Dragan Gojic

On May 14, Novi Sad’s protesting university students called for a rally in front of the city’s Courthouse over the court’s decision to extend by 30 days the detention of six activists and students accused of treason based on an audio-surveillance recording.

“No one is free until we are all free,” the students posted on social media, inviting the general public to gather at 11 a.m.

Local citizen assemblies and Novi Sad’s united opposition have added their voices to the call.

Meanwhile, the city’s protesting medical students have visited one of the detainees, professor and activist Marija Vasic, who began a thirst strike on May 13, refusing food, water and an IV.

The six detained individuals belong to the oppositional Movement of Free Citizens and the University Students Against Authoritarian Government group and have been jailed for 60 days on suspicion of attempting to topple the constitutional order. On May 13, the court extended their detention by another month.

Another six members of the student group have been accused of the same crime, but were abroad at the time of arrest and have since remained out of the country.

All accusations are based on an audio surveillance recording of a conversation between the activists and university students which was broadcast in the media and allegedly shows the suspects planning to storm Parliament Hall and the RTS public service building during the March 15 rally in Belgrade.

The defense team has repeatedly stated that the recording was made by the Security and Information Agency illegally, and as such is inadmissible as evidence in any proceedings against the accused. The recording was broadcast by certain TV stations on March 14, after which the six people were taken into police custody.