Serbian president wants his immunity revoked in court

Tanjug/Bojan Stekić

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic empowered his lawyers to inform a court that he was giving up his immunity as head of state in a law suit brought by Popular Party leader Vuk Jeremic but a judge decided on Thursday to wait for parliament to decide if his immunity can be revoked.

Opposition leader and former Foreign Minister Jeremic sued Vucic for insult after the president called him “the head of an international gang of thieves”. Jeremic is demanding damages of 50 million Dinars.

Jeremic’s lawer Vladimir Gajic said that the court and the Appeals Court in Belgrade were acting like attorneys for the defendant and giving him protection.

Vucic’s lawyer Dragan Palibrk told the judge that his clinet feels that politicians should not sue each other and have to speak out in the political arena not in court.

The judge said the next hearing would be scheduled after parliament decides about Vucic’s immunity as head of state and called the two sides to resolve the dispute through arbitration.