Alliance for Serbia urges Prosecutor's Office to react to murder threats against opposition leader

The Alliance's chair, Dragan Djilas, said at a July 23 press conference in Belgrade that a lynching campaign was on against opposition leaders, identical to the campaigns waged against a killed Serbian journalist, Slavko Curuvija, and an assassinated Serbian opposition leader in Kosovo, Oliver Ivanovic.

"The article 'A Noose for Serbia' says that foreign intelligence services have been planning the murder of an opposition leader to attack (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic, which is a terrifying statement, as the article is actually clearing the authorities of responsibility if something terrible happens to a person who thinks differently," Djilas said, having noted that the article was published by Pecat and carried by the state-owned Vecernje Novosti daily.

"We demand that the Office of the State Attorney interview the author, in order to find out if the article was based on facts. If not, the author (the Vecernje Novosti editor-in-chief), Milorad Vucelic, should be charged with upsetting the public," Djilas suggested.

The opposition leader also stated that in September 2018 a special operation was launched by the Criminal Police Administration allowing for opposition leaders to be followed, explaining that an office for special investigation methods existed within the Administration, and that there was a special operation unit within the office.

A member of the Presidency of the Serbian Progressive Party, Vladimir Orlic, said that the allegations by the Alliance that the police had been following and eavesdropping on its leaders were "lies," setting "an example of irresponsible behavior," which, as he put it, was typical only of "marginal politicians, who are the mental prisoners of a Big Brother program."