Belgrade prosecutor's office seeks custody for two coup suspects

BELGRADE - The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade on Friday requested custody for two men suspected of calling for a violent overthrowing of authorities and the president of the Republic of Serbia.

At hearings earlier in the day, the suspects, identified as Damnjan K, 34, and Dejan Z, 53, denied that they had committed any criminal offence, an official statement said.

The Prosecutor's Office requested custody for the two to prevent them from witness tampering or repeating the offence in a short period of time.

They are charged with the criminal offence of calling for a violent change of the constitutional order.

The Prosecutor's Office said that, through political, propaganda and ideological activities in the People's Patrols Telegram group and on Facebook and Instagram between February 1 and February 15, as well as in speeches at a February 15 registered public gathering near a memorial to Russian Emperor Nicholas II Romanov in central Belgrade, the suspects had called for a violent overthrowing of top state authorities and President Aleksandar Vucic.

After the gathering, they led citizens who attended it to the entrance of the Presidency of Serbia building at Andricev venac and attempted to enter by force, but were thwarted and subsequently detained by police officers.