BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) 鈥� Serbia鈥檚 police on Thursday arrested five people on suspicion of calling for the violent overthrow of the Balkan country鈥檚 president , and of arms possession.
The arrested men, some with alleged links to Russia鈥檚 private military Wagner Group, took part in a protest on Wednesday evening of far-right, pro-Russian groups demanding that populist President Aleksandar Vucic rejects a Western plan on normalizing ties with Serbia鈥檚 breakaway Kosovo province.
The protesters gathered in front of the presidency building in downtown Belgrade, carrying banners that read 鈥淜osovo is the heart of Serbia,鈥� 鈥淣o surrender,鈥� and 鈥淏etrayal of Kosovo is betrayal of Russia!鈥�
They blocked traffic and at one point tore down a metal fence in front of the presidency shouting: 鈥淲here is Vucic?鈥� Some hurled eggs at the building.
Serbian officials were quick to denounce the protest, claiming it was an attempted coup against the president and the government.
The Interior Ministry said Thursday that the five men were arrested on suspicion of calling 鈥渇or the violent overthrow of the Government and the President of Serbia, as well as the possession of weapons and explosive materials.鈥�
Vucic late Wednesday accused the protesters of being anti-Serbian and receiving funding and support from 鈥渁 foreign country,鈥� apparently referring to Russia.
鈥淒o you really think it鈥檚 possible, you think there won鈥檛 be an answer to that? The state will react very efficiently, very quickly, very seriously and very responsibly,鈥� he said.
The Russian ambassador to Serbia, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, reacted tweeting that 鈥淩ussia is determined to continue all-round cooperation with friendly Serbia and does not interfere in Serbia鈥檚 internal affairs.鈥�
鈥淲e strongly condemn the threats sent from the gathering that took place last night near the Presidency of Serbia,鈥� he added.
The protest come amid efforts by U.S. and European Union officials to mediate a solution for the long-standing dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose 2008 declaration of independence Belgrade does not recognize.
Serbia has relied on its traditional Slavic ally Russia, as well as China, in its refusal to acknowledge Kosovo鈥檚 independence, which is backed by Washington and most EU countries. Western officials fear Russia could use simmering tensions in Kosovo to try to destabilize the Balkans and avert some attention from the invasion of Ukraine.
Vucic has said he is ready to consider the Western plan. Its provisions have not been published but it reportedly stipulates that Serbia would not object to Kosovo鈥檚 membership in international institutions, including the United Nations, while Serbia would get a faster track toward the EU membership.
The Associated Press
