Serbian Interior Ministry: Beta Agency Editor Interrogated Because He Had Radić's Mobile Phone

The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) announced tonight that the editor of the Beta news agency was questioned because he had the mobile phone of military analyst Aleksandar Radić in his possession, and that the item was "potential evidence and the subject of a criminal offense."

The ministry claims in a statement that the Criminal Police Directorate did not serve Vojkan Kostić with a summons "for preparing an act against the constitutional order and security of Serbia while he was merely performing his journalistic work."

"Since this was potential evidence and the subject of a criminal offense, the police had a legal obligation to react and take all necessary procedural actions, including serving a summons for an interview with VK," the Ministry of Interior stated.

This institution claims that these are regular, legal and professional police actions.

This afternoon, members of the Ministry of Interior handed Kostić a summons to report to the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP) in New Belgrade to collect information in the pre-investigation procedure for the criminal offense of "Preparation of acts against the constitutional order and security of Serbia."

Kostić was served with the summons while reporting on the search of the apartment of military analyst Aleksandar Radić in the Belgrade municipality of Vračar.

It was not explained to him why the police were calling him, nor was he in any way suspected of having committed the crime.

As he stated, the police were very unpleasant towards the gathered journalists during the search and did not want to answer questions about why the search was being conducted.

Kostić was released from the Criminal Police Directorate after he gave a statement in his capacity as a citizen about the seizure of his mobile phone.

The police were interested in how Radić's phone ended up with Kostić, and the statement was mainly related to that circumstance.

Kostić said that he met Radić in the hallway at the Criminal Police Directorate, but that he did not know whether he had also been released in the meantime or whether he was still in the police force.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office (HPO) in Belgrade announced today that in accordance with the law and the evidence collected, all those found to have prepared, organized, implemented and then spread the same narrative about the alleged use of a "sound cannon" in the media and on social networks will be prosecuted.

The students in the blockade rejected the prosecution's allegations that they organized a simulation of the use of a sound cannon, stating that it was a "lie and a distraction from the essential issue of what happened on March 15th."