BELGRADE, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Serbian police arrested six people on Wednesday on suspicion of preparing violence against police and political opponents in a parliamentary election on Sunday, prosecutors said.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that five of the suspects had been arrested in the northern city of Novi Sad on suspicion of having “incited and encouraged the overthrow of the highest state authorities by force.”
They had recruited people whom they intended to bring to Belgrade on election day to attack political opponents and police, it said.
The sixth person, who was arrested in Belgrade, was suspected of being in charge of training so-called mobile teams for physical confrontations and violence as if “preparing for war,” the statement said.
Former President Aleksandar Vucic, who resigned as head of state last month, called an early election last month after 18 months of anti-government protests led by students, and wants to extend his 12-year hold on power by becoming prime minister.
The election is expected to be a close race between a list of candidates backed by Vucic and a student-backed list of candidates pledging to fight graft and ensure the rule of law.
(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
