Prosecutors seek custody for five people suspected of planning election day unrest in Serbia

BELGRADE - Six people suspected of planning to commit acts of violence, unrest and attacks on dissenters and police on election day in Serbia, October 25, with the aim of jeopardising the constitutional order and security in the country, appeared for a hearing before prosecutors at the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.

The suspects are Croatian national Marko V, aged 37, Bosnia and Herzegovina national Dejan L, aged 36, as well as Serbian nationals Dragoljub J, aged 41, Dragan R, aged 35, Marko I, aged 41 and Teodora C, aged 26, the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The majority of the suspects remained silent during the hearing, while others denied involvement in criminal offences in brief statements.

After the hearing, the Prosecutor's Office proposed custody for five suspects, while Teodora C was released from detention pending trial.

The members of the group are accused of co-perpetration in the commission of the criminal offences of preparing acts against the constitutional order and security in Serbia and calling for a violent overthrow of the constitutional order.

They are suspected of calling for, and instigating, a violent overthrow of top state authorities and of making preparations for the commission of the criminal offence, of obtaining the means for its commission, as well as of making agreements and plans for immediate commission of the criminal offence and of creating the conditions for doing so.

They are suspected of recruiting others in their immediate environment for election-day clashes in Belgrade, the statement said.

The suspects, led by M V, intended to come to Belgrade, with mobile teams assembled under a "Security Protocol for Mobile Teams", to take part in a violent overthrow of the constitutional order and top state authorities, it said, adding that the preparation of the "Security Protocol" had been organised by a so-called "Security Group".

Operating outside the legal framework, the mobile teams were to use weapons and arms to attack dissenters and police officers.

The means for committing the criminal offences - balaclavas, poles, flares, knives and weapons - were to be provided by the group, led by M V.

Under the group's plan, M V was to have some 40 people under his command and would be joined by other groups so, according to his own estimate, the number of people at his disposal would total 80 to 90.

He planned to come to Belgrade with some 80 people to set cars on fire and catch supporters of the government and rob them of money, as well as to, as he said, "throw firebombs from scooters and spark serious unrest."

Marko V also said he would stab V DJ - a Serbian Progressive Party candidate for MP - with a knife and kill him by hitting him on the temple with a hammer as an example to others.