Trial farmer and activists Zlatko Kokanović, who has been in custody since March 1 for allegedly obstructing an official during the farmers' blockade, was adjourned before the Basic Court in Lozniki after it was established at the main trial that it was not clear who signed the indictment.
This procedural flaw was pointed out by the defense, and lawyer Vladimir Terzić stated on the X social network that even the acting public prosecutor during the trial could not determine who was the author of the indictment.
"At the main trial of Zlatko Kokanović, today in the Basic Court in Loznica, the points made by my colleague Dušan Filipović from Loznica, who pointed out a procedural flaw - it is not known who signed the indictment. Since the acting public prosecutor could not establish this, the trial was postponed, and they are threatened with the dismissal of the indictment under Article 416 paragraph 1 point 2 of the CPC", said Terzić.
Gathering before the court
Kokanović was brought before the court for the main trial, while his family members and friends gathered in front of the building. However, the police did not allow them to approach him.
In a video that appeared on social media, police officers are seen pushing his daughter and preventing her from approaching her father.
By the way, Kokanović is the only farmer who is still in custody after the protests and blockades organized by farmers in early March.
Kokanovic is arrested on March 1st when he and a group of farmers tried to block the border crossing to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is charged with assaulting the police officers, because, according to the criminal complaint, he drove the tractor towards the police officers and hit several of them.
After the first detention, he was released to defend himself, but he was detained again the very next day and ordered to be detained for up to 30 days.
Signatures for freedom
At the same time, an action to collect signatures for his release was launched in Loznica and other cities. Nebojša Petković, a representative of the "Ne damo Jadar" association, told FoNet that so far more than 5.000 signatures have been collected from citizens demanding that Kokanović be released.
"We show that the citizens are disturbed by the fact that he is in custody and that they will calm down when he is released," said Petković.
He said that signatures have been collected in Loznica for four days, and that since yesterday the campaign has spread to other cities in Serbia, with regular posting of locations on the association's social networks.
Source: Nova/FoNet
