Serbian Opposition Calls On President To Release All Detained Protesters

Leaders of the opposition Alliance for Serbia demanded from President Aleksandar Vucic to release all detained participants of anti-government rallies

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2019) Leaders of the opposition Alliance for Serbia demanded from President Aleksandar Vucic to release all detained participants of anti-government rallies.

According to the Serbian police, mass anti-government rallies were held in the Serbian capital on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in 18 detentions and leaving six police officers injured. Protesters accuse Vucic of authoritarianism and control over media. They also demanded from authorities to release all detainees, claiming that such measures were of political nature and had no grounds.

On Monday afternoon, Vucic appealed to competent authorities requesting pardon for all detainees arrested during the protests in the past days, except protesters with a chainsaw and those who attacked the police.

Since early December 2018, Serbian opposition forces have been holding weekly protests calling for Vucic's resignation. The rallies were triggered by an attack on the leader of the opposition Serbian Left party, Borko Stefanovic, in late November. While police announced that the suspects in the case had been detained, the country's opposition continues to accuse the authorities of allowing political violence.