Brnabic: Footage revealed plans for coup d' etat, authorities must react

BELGRADE - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said footage aired by several Serbian television stations on Thursday had revealed that representatives of various political parties, NGOs and individuals hiding behind student plenums had "clearly, directly and unequivocally" planned a coup d' etat and violence as a prelude to a civil war and an assassination of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Speaking at a press conference, Brnabic called on authorities to react urgently.

"To me, the most shocking part of it all - and the primary reason why I called this press conference - is the part concerning the University of Belgrade. Of all the shocking and horrendous things we heard - to which all competent authorities must react urgently and without delay, and which is also associated with all the behaviour we have seen from Rector (Vladan) Djokic and the extended Rector's Collegium in the past several months, the most shocking thing, which culminated yesterday, was the role of the University of Belgrade," Brnabic said.

It can be heard in the footage that the University of Belgrade has said an army union will be on standby and respond to its call "in case of action," she said.

"Today, my question to professors, deans, the Rector's Collegium, the extended Rector's Collegium and, most importantly, to Rector Djokic, is: Who, on behalf of the University of Belgrade, participated in an attempted military coup, a coup d' etat and a civil war in the Republic of Serbia, and an attempted assassination of the president of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic? What is the role of the University of Belgrade in plans for a coup d' etat and a military coup? Rector Djokic and the extended Rector's Collegium must respond to these questions immediately," Brnabic noted.

After the audio footage was aired on Thursday evening, the opposition Movement of Free Citizens said people heard in it were its representatives from Novi Sad and distanced itself from "irresponsible discussions" by its members, apologising to all citizens.

In the footage, the party members can be heard discussing riots planned for Saturday's protest in Belgrade, including a seizure of the building of the national public broadcaster, RTS.

In a statement, the party said this was a "conversation between a few younger members of the Novi Sad committee of the Movement of Free Citizens and representatives of several activist groups," and added that "the views expressed do not reflect the views or the plans of the Movement of Free Citizens."