Prosecutor’s Office: Search on the Premises of People’s Movement of Serbia Ordered by Court as Part of Pre-Investigation Procedure

Prosecutor’s Office (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade announced on March 30 that the premises of the political party People’s Movement of Serbia had been searched in accordance with the law and by court order, as part of a pre-investigation procedure.

The Prosecutor’s Office told the Nova.rs portal that the search was conducted on suspicion that the criminal offenses of violation of voting rights and unauthorized collection of personal data had been committed, explaining that it currently could not provide further information or respond to additional questions.

The People’s Movement of Serbia described the March 29 "police raid" on the Movement’s campaign headquarters in Belgrade as "an attempt by the regime to divert public attention from the horrifying scenes and violence, bloodied heads, axes, metal bars and threats to citizens" reported during the election day on ten locations.

The Movement’s president, Miroslav Aleksic,  said it was an "insult to intelligence" that the authorities could have claimed that the Movement had violated voting rights, adding that he had no knowledge that members of his party had called the Serbian Progressive Party’s voters by phone and falsely identified themselves. He also said that the police "inspected every little part of the party offices, even opening the toilet tank while searching for mobile phone SIM cards." Aleksic claimed that the police operation was coordinated by the head of the Criminal Police Directorate, Marko Kricak.

President Aleksandar Vucic accused the People’s Movement of Serbia’s officials of calling citizens during the elections and urging them not to vote for the candidates rallied around the Serbian Progressive Party. Vucic said that the Movement’s officials identified themselves as people from the Presidency of Serbia, his colleagues and friends. "All the phones have been seized, I believe everyone will be arrested, because these are things that our democracy cannot tolerate," Vucic said.