Serbia's opposition leader filed 114 charges against tabloids in 18 months

N1

The leader of Serbia's opposition Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) Dragan Djilas said on Monday that over the last year and a half he filed 114 charges against tabloids for "lies" published about him, adding that on TV channels with national frequency 30 hours a day were spent on stories about him.

„Every day, on all TVs with national frequency, their guests talk about me during morning programmes, news, prime time news,“ he said.

Djilas, once the head of the Democratic Party (DS) and the Belgrade Mayor, who won over the current head of state Aleksandar Vucic twice in the capital’s elections, has been regularly targeted by the President, his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) members, Prime Minister, other ministers, the SNS’ MPs and pro-regime media.

He is accused of becoming illegally rich, but no proof has yet been offered.

Belgrade Deputy Mayor Goran Vesic of the SNS, also former DS official, announced on Friday criminal charges against Djilas for alleged corruption.

Djilas told reporters on Monday he had three trials in one day, and that he would have another two on Tuesday and Wednesday.

„Only this week, I had nine trails, this month 16 and that has no sense any more,“ he said adding he told the court that all accusations were false.

„In the end, I had to explain I didn’t make a deal with (the founder and Chairman of the United Group’s Advisory Board) Dragan Solak to start a campaign about Aleksandar Vucic’s role in the murder of (the journalist and editor killed outside his home in 1999, during NATO bombing of the then Yugoslavia after his criticism of the then regime, Slavko) Curuvija . I have never said anything like that. The same article said I supported NATO’s bombing,“ Djilas told reporters.

He added that he would be explaining how he did not sit with Solak and discuss how to provoke unrests.

„I was asked had I demanded denials and I said there was no point. But, since October 1, we started issuing denials and sent 95 during that and last month. Less than 20 were published. That’s how that daily struggle looks like,“ Djilas said.

He has so far won in all lawsuits he initiated and has paid all the compensations to humanitarian organisations.

N1 is a part of the United Group.