(Belgrade) Hundreds of Serbian opposition activists, mainly students, announced on Wednesday a 24-hour blockade on Friday of the streets of Belgrade to protest against the fraud having, according to them, marred the legislative elections of December 17, won by the nationalist right .
Several hundred protesters gathered at the call of the Borba (Combat) organization in front of the philosophy faculty of the University of Belgrade to demand a revision of the electoral lists.
“We are announcing a 24-hour blockade on Friday,” activist Ivan Bijelic said at the rally.
According to the main opposition coalition, Serbia Against Violence, Serb voters from neighboring Bosnia were illegally allowed to vote in Belgrade on December 17.
International observers, including those from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), also reported “irregularities” during the vote, including “vote buying” and “ballot box stuffing”.
According to Ivan Bijelic, the blocking of the streets is to begin on Friday at noon. It will be lifted the next day to allow protesters to join another demonstration, organized by a group of intellectuals, artists and celebrities.
According to official results, the SNS (nationalist right) party of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic won 46% of the vote against 23.5% for the opposition coalition.
Since the election, protest actions, during which demonstrations blocked arteries in the capital, have multiplied, demanding the cancellation of the vote and the holding of new elections.
Demonstrators notably attempted to enter Belgrade town hall on Sunday evening, breaking windows, before being pushed back by the police.
Separately, a Belgrade court announced that four arrested protesters would remain in detention for another 30 days, accused of “violent behavior during a public gathering.”
Six other people are under house arrest on the same charges and one person has been released, the court announced.
Seven arrested protesters, who pleaded guilty, were given suspended prison sentences of up to six months and fines of 20,000 Serbian dinars ($250) each.