logo
A Serbian court swaps prison for house arrest for 3 out of 6 jailed activists after pressure

A Serbian court swaps prison for house arrest for 3 out of 6 jailed activists after pressure

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An appeals court in Serbia on Tuesday released three out of six political activists from jail following protests and international criticism of the populist government, which has faced monthslong anti-graft demonstrations.
But the court in the northern city of Novi Sad ordered that the three remain under house arrest, pending legal proceedings on suspicion of anti-state activities. The court said that it would issue another ruling at some point about the other three jailed activists.
The six were detained in March after secret recordings of their alleged plotting to take over state institutions was broadcast on pro-government media in Serbia before a major rally in the capital, Belgrade. Hundreds have been protesting for days against their prolonged detention.
Those released from jail include a high school teacher who was transferred to a prison hospital in Belgrade last week after going on a hunger strike.
The huge rally on March 15 in Belgrade was part of protests that started after a concrete canopy collapsed on Nov. 1 at a train station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Shaken by the tragedy, populist President Aleksandar Vucic's government has stepped up pressure on those involved while trying to curb the demonstrations.
Lawyers for the jailed activists in Novi Sad say that the accusations against their clients are based on illegal wiretapping, and there's a lack of evidence.
Vucic criticized the ruling in a statement on pro-government Informer television, saying it was the result of pressure from 'the gang' of protesters outside the court. He described the activists as 'terrorists," adding that 'there is not a country in the world' that would release them from jail.
Protesters in Novi Sad said on Tuesday that they would continue with the demonstrations until all six activists are out of prison. Six more activists facing the same charges aren't in the country.
Tuesday's ruling came as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk arrived in Belgrade.
Last week, Tonino Picula, the European Parliament's envoy for Serbia, described the activists as 'political prisoners," while Civil Rights Defenders group called it 'a clear attempt by the Serbian government to silence dissent.'
Critics have accused Vucic of increasingly authoritarian rule that stifles the media and other democratic freedoms. The president says that he wants Serbia to join the European Union while boosting relations with Russia and China.
Many in Serbia believe that widespread government corruption linked to major infrastructure projects fueled negligence and undermined construction regulations that contributed to the disaster on Nov. 1 at the Novi Sad train station, which triggered the protests.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UK and others sanction 2 far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers over violence in the occupied West Bank
UK and others sanction 2 far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers over violence in the occupied West Bank

The Hill

time21 minutes ago

  • The Hill

UK and others sanction 2 far-right Israeli Cabinet ministers over violence in the occupied West Bank

JERUSALEM (AP) — Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway said Tuesday they have imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli government ministers for allegedly 'inciting extremist violence' against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The decision by Western governments friendly to Israel was a sharp rebuke of Israel's settlement policies in the West Bank and of settler violence, which has spiked since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, key partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, are champions of Israeli settlement who support continuing the war in Gaza, facilitating what they call the voluntary emigration of its Palestinian population and the rebuilding of Jewish settlements there. They could now face asset freezes and travel bans. The five countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich 'have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous.' U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the two men 'have been inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months' and 'encouraging egregious abuses of human rights.' Israel's Foreign Ministry said earlier it had been informed of the sanctions. Smotrich, the finance minister, wrote on social media that he learned of the sanctions while he was inaugurating a new West Bank settlement. 'We are determined to continue building,' he said. 'We overcame Pharoah, we'll overcome Starmer's Wall.' Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, wrote on social media, referring to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the sanctions decision 'outrageous.' He said he had discussed it with Netanyahu and they would meet next week to discuss Israel's response. Netanyahu is the target of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court last year over alleged war crimes in Gaza, part of a global wave of outrage at Israel's conduct during its 20-month war against Hamas. Netanyahu has denied the allegations and accused the the court of being biased against Israel. The Biden administration took the rare step of sanctioning radical Israeli settlers implicated in violence in the occupied West Bank — sanctions that were lifted by President Donald Trump. Eitay Mack, an Israeli human rights lawyer who spent years campaigning for the sanctions on Smotrich and Ben-Gvir — along with violent West Bank settlers — described Tuesday's move as 'historic.' 'It means the wall of immunity that Israeli politicians had has been broken,' he said. 'It's unbelievable that it took so long for Western governments to sanction Israeli politicians, and the fact that it's being done while Trump is president is quite amazing.' Mack added: 'It is a message to Netanyahu himself that he could be next.' Israel captured the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state. Successive Israeli governments have promoted settlement growth and construction stretching back decades. It has exploded under Netanyahu's far-right coalition, which has settlers in key Cabinet posts. There are now well over 100 settlements across the West Bank that house more than 500,000 settlers. The settlers have Israeli citizenship, while the territory's 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority administering population centers. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal, and Palestinians see them as the greatest obstacle to an eventual two-state solution, which is still seen internationally as the only way to resolve the conflict. ___ Lawless reported from London. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at

California woman sues Costco for $14M after display fell on her, causing ‘permanent injuries'
California woman sues Costco for $14M after display fell on her, causing ‘permanent injuries'

New York Post

time23 minutes ago

  • New York Post

California woman sues Costco for $14M after display fell on her, causing ‘permanent injuries'

A California woman is suing Costco for more than $14 million after a cabinet allegedly fell on top of her in a store – claiming the incident caused her a traumatic brain injury. Sadie Novotny was walking down a Costco store aisle on March 22 when a heavy liquor cabinet fell and pinned her to the ground, a complaint filed in April alleged. The Bay Area woman claimed the large cabinet had 'thin legs' and was balanced precariously on a 'worn' and 'inadequate' wooden pallet in a Costco store in Santa Rosa, according to the lawsuit. Costco was sued for over $14 million after the woman's injury. AP The incident allegedly left Novotny with multiple permanent and severe injuries, including traumatic brain injury, the suit said. Novotny is seeking approximately $5 million for pain, suffering and inconvenience; $5 million for emotional distress; $100,000 for medical expenses and loss of earnings; and $4 million for future medical expenses and loss of earnings. The plaintiff, 46, works as a private practice psychotherapist, specializing in marriage and family counseling, according to her LinkedIn and several background check sites. The lawsuit alleges Costco is responsible for negligence in failing to adequately operate its store and manage merchandise, as well as failing to train, manage and supervise employees so the heavy liquor cabinet did not fall on the plaintiff. Lawyers for Novotny and Costco did not immediately respond to The Post's requests for comment. While the suit was originally filed in Alameda County Superior Court, it was moved to the Northern District Court at Costco's request. Both parties are due in court in September for a case management meeting.

Here's what we know about a school shooting in Austria
Here's what we know about a school shooting in Austria

Hamilton Spectator

time34 minutes ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Here's what we know about a school shooting in Austria

GRAZ, Austria (AP) — A shooter opened fire inside a school in Austria's second-biggest city Tuesday, killing nine people, authorities said. At least 12 others were wounded in the attack, and the gunman later died by suicide in a bathroom in the school in Graz, officials said. Details about the suspect's motive, as well as information about the victims, were not immediately available. Here's what we know: Nine people were killed The shooter opened fire at a school in Graz, killing nine people and wounding at least 12 others before taking his own life, authorities said. Special forces were among those sent to the BORG Dreierschützengasse high school, about a kilometer (over half a mile) from Graz's historic center, after a call at 10 a.m. At 11:30 a.m., police wrote on social network X that the school had been evacuated and everyone had been taken to a safe meeting point. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said there would be three days of national mourning, with the Austrian flag lowered to half-staff and a national minute of mourning at 10 a.m. Wednesday. 'A school is more than just a place of learning,' Stocker said. 'It is a space of trust, of security, of the future. The fact that this safe space was shattered by such an act of violence leaves us speechless.' Graz, Austria's second-biggest city, is located in the southeast of the country and has about 300,000 inhabitants. Gunman was a former student The gunman was a former student at the school who didn't finish his studies, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said. His name has not been made public in line with Austrian privacy rules. Authorities say he was a 21-year-old Austrian man who had two weapons, which he appeared to have owned legally. Police said they didn't immediately have information on the man's motive, but said he died by suicide in a toilet after the attack. Other major attacks in Austria Tuesday's violence appeared to be the deadliest attack in Austria's postwar history. Other attacks in the country include when four people were killed in Vienna in 2020 and the suspect, a sympathizer of the Islamic State group, also died in a shooting that stunned the Austrian capital. More than 20 other people, including a police officer, were wounded. In 2019, a 25-year-old man turned himself in to Austrian police after he killed his ex-girlfriend, her family and her new boyfriend in the Alpine resort town of Kitzbuehel. And almost exactly 10 years ago, on June 20, 2015, a man killed three people and injured more than 30 when he drove through a crowd in downtown Graz with an SUV. Gun culture in Austria Austria has some of the more liberal gun laws in the European Union. Traditionally, many in the Alpine country go hunting and it's more common to carry a weapon for that and less for self-defense. Some weapons, such as rifles and shotguns that must be reloaded manually after each shot, can be purchased in Austria from the age of 18 without a permit. Gun dealers only need to check if there's no weapons ban on the buyer, and the weapon is then added to the central weapons register. Other weapons, such as repeating shotguns or semi-automatic firearms, are more difficult to acquire — buyers need a gun ownership card and a firearms pass. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store