Collegium Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office condemned on Monday the burning of the car of the prosecutor of the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjeva Vukašin Vujičić, stating that this is the second serious attack on the property of public prosecutors in a period of eight months.
Attacks on prosecutors' property, as stated in the announcement, are also attacks on the prosecutors themselves and their families, which indicates an escalation of threats to the safety of public prosecutors and attempts to influence their work and handling of cases.
The Valjevo prosecutor Vukašin Vujičić's car was set on fire during the night
According to the opinion of the Collegium, undetected and unpunished attacks on public prosecutors, whose main role is the prosecution of criminals and the protection of the public interest and the constitutional and legal order of our country, are not only a threat to their safety, independence, rule of law and public trust in the public prosecution.
"They are also an alarming indicator that the institutions that need to ensure the personal and public safety of our citizens must significantly improve their actions in this field," the statement added.
The Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office added that it will carefully monitor the actions of the Basic and Higher Public Prosecutor's Offices in Valjevo, as well as the Appellate Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, whose territorial composition includes the aforementioned prosecutors' offices.
They expressed the expectation that the result of their urgent action, as well as that of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will be the immediate identification of the perpetrator or perpetrators of the serious crime in which Vujičić was attacked, and that all measures and acts of criminal coercion and punishment provided for by law will be applied to them in the coming hours or days.
High Council to react
The collegium of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office stated that significant material damage was caused to Vujičić's property by burning and destroying his car, and caused a general danger through the possibility that the fire could spread to other motor vehicles as well as nearby residential buildings during the early morning hours of August 16.
Prosecutors called on the High Council to react because of the attack on colleague Vujičić, it is a threat to others as well
The Association of Public Prosecutors of Serbia (UTS) called on Monday the High Council of Prosecutions, as the highest body that guarantees the independence of prosecutors, to react without delay due to the burning of the car of prosecutor Vukašin Vujičić, during the night in the immediate vicinity of his house in Valjevo.
Especially, as stated in the announcement, due to increasingly frequent public threats, targeting, disparagement and other forms of illegal influence on other prosecutors recently.
They also request that the competent authorities urgently and thoroughly determine all the circumstances of the event, and emphasize that they are particularly concerned that the event was preceded by intense public attacks and pressures to which prosecutor Vujičić was exposed due to his professional conduct.
"An attack on a public prosecutor due to the performance of the public prosecutor's function is not only an attack on an individual. Such an attack represents a threat to the independence of the public prosecutor's office and the rule of law, because it sends the message that the public prosecutor's professional decision may have consequences for his personal safety," warned UTS.
It was pointed out that no prosecutor or judge should be put in a situation where, when making a decision, they weigh between their rights and personal safety and the safety of their family.
And the Minister of Justice condemned the burning of cars
Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić condemned the burning of the car of public prosecutor Vukašin Vujicić in Valjevo and said that any attack on state institutions and holders of judicial functions must be investigated and condemned by the public.
Vujić stated that only institutions ensure the rule of law and the rule of law, for which everyone stands, it was announced on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
"The latest in a series of attacks is proof that we must all work to strengthen institutions without a selective approach," said Vujić and expressed the expectation that all competent state authorities will act urgently, and citizens will turn to respecting the law and the rule of law.
Vujić stated that a year ago there was an attack on the building of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo, whose premises were damaged, "and it was provoked by false news about the murder of minors in that city by the police".
"A part of the public was silent then, and not a small number approved the attack. That's why every attack, as well as the persecution of people who work in institutions, must be condemned," said Vujić.
Source: Beta
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