Serbia’s actor released from detention: I’m sorry I fell for provocation

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The prosecution office's in the southern city of Nis released Dragan Bjelogrlic, an actor and director, who was detained after causing a brawl with a colleague in a hotel restaurant following the premieres of his films.

Bjelogrlic will be a free man pending trial for punching another director Predrag Antonijevic after, as some eyewitnesses and the actor himself said, were verbal provocations.

„I am sorry I fell for Antonijevic’s provocations that have been going on for over a year. I am sorry that Antonijevic appeared just at the moment when I had two magnificent premieres, and I am sorry that I could not ignore those provocations… I’m sorry I did that. I did not go toward him; I was going to the restroom and only reacted to his provocations,“ Bjelogrlic told reporters.

The actor punched Antonijevic several times in the head while he was defending himself by kicking Bjelogrlic early on Monday in the hotel’s restaurant in the southern city of Nis where a film festival was held.

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Bjelogrlic added he was grateful to the Nis prosecutors for giving him a chance to explain what really happened instead of „what the pro-government tabloids reported“ about the incident.

His lawyer said it was challenging to work under pressure created by the tabloids’ media lynch.

Goran Draganic told reporters his client was tested and „was not under the influence of any psychoactive substances, nor the level of alcohol was above the legal limit,“ adding that would make „many tabloids (which said Bjelogrlic was drunk and drugged) sad.“