Charges filed against Serbian opposition leader over gathering during curfew

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Serbian opposition leader Dragan Djilas told the Nova.rs portal that the police filed criminal charges against him over a gathering organized as a show of support for his family during the state of emergency.

The gathering was held in front of the building where his ex-wife and children live a day after alleged Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) activists gathered on top of a neighboring building chanting insults against Djilas. Similar gatherings were held for days during the curfew with the participation of at least one high-ranking SNS official.  

“The police filed charges against me for the support gathering in front of the building where my children live. A trial has been scheduled for September 1. The gathering was organized to prevent hooligans from repeating their offensive chanting,” Djilas told the portal. He said the police were not doing their job when hooligans gathered on building roof terraces lighting torches and shouting slogans and insults.  

“The state and the police were not doing their job and people took to the streets to prevent the hooligans from repeating what they did. The state, which organized the chanting and torches, is now filing charges against those of us who defended the right of children to live normal lives,” the leader of the Party of Freeedom and Justice (SSP) said.