Protest by judges, prosecutors, attorneys: Justice is blind, the judiciary is not, we defend it together

They said that the protest was driven by political pressure on the judicial system. Key grievances include announced legislative amendments regarding the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (TOK), which they say would effectively mean the “disappearance” of the office, as well as an incident where a prosecutor from the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade was prevented from conducting an on-site investigation at a regime-supporter tent encampment outside the Serbian Parliament.

Appeals Court judge Milomir Lukic told the crowd that under the proposed amendments, the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (TOK) would lose its autonomy and independence entirely.

“The minute TOK becomes part of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, the direct consequence will be the loss of its institutional operational capacity. Ultimately, this will result first in the weakening, and then the disappearance, of the judicial bodies responsible for handling organized crime. Our greatest concern is that, with this amendment, the state is unequivocally abandoning the institutional fight against organized crime… According to the Global Organized Crime Index for 2023, Serbia is the lowest-ranked country in the Balkans. Out of 44 European nations, only three fall below us: Russia, Ukraine, and Italy,” Lukic warned.

Lukic called on the Government to withdraw the proposed amendments and urged all members of parliament to vote against the legislation.