Serbian NGO says charges filed over protests are form of pressure

NGO spokeswoman Katarina Djukic told a news conference that more than 600 people reported having been charged for taking part in the protests, adding that more are expected. She said that 90 percent of those people want to go to court instead of paying fines. According to her, most of the charges that her organization is aware of were filed in southern and western Serbia with some filed in Belgrade. She said that no charges have been filed yet in the cities where the biggest road block protests were staged.

Lawyer Radivoje Kastratovic said that the charges filed against the protesters were a form of pressure and attempt to intimidate the public. He recalled that the police checked ID cards in a pedestrian zone before the protests and then filed charges against those people.