Čedomir Stojković, a prominent Serbian lawyer and human rights advocate, has accused Aleksandar Vulin, the former Minister of Internal Affairs and current Minister for Defence, of receiving a €205,000 loan in 2012 from the Kremlin. Stojković claims that Vulin falsely stated the money was provided by his wife’s aunt from Canada, in a bid to cover up the origins of the funds.
According to Stojković, this sum was part of a broader pattern of corruption that enabled Vulin to amass significant wealth, ultimately making him one of the richest individuals in Serbia.
Stojković’s remarks come amid growing criticism of Vulin’s actions regarding Serbia’s relationship with international organizations. Recently, Vulin has attempted to label civil society representatives, especially those advocating for Serbia’s EU integration, as “foreign agents.” These comments have sparked outrage from human rights organizations, who argue that they reflect an increasingly authoritarian stance within the Serbian government.
Stojković, who has long been an advocate for transparency and anti-corruption efforts in Serbia, denounced Vulin’s behavior as hypocritical, especially considering his alleged ties to Russian interests. “Vulin, who has been influenced by the Kremlin, now seeks to label NGOs promoting EU integration as foreign agents. It’s a blatant attempt to undermine democratic processes and intimidate those working towards Serbia’s European future,” Stojković said.
As Serbia faces increasing pressure from the EU to align more closely with Western democratic values, figures like Vulin, who have maintained strong ties with Russia, are seen by critics as obstacles to the country’s integration into Europe.
Vulin’s office has yet to respond to the allegations, but this latest scandal only adds to ongoing concerns about corruption and political influence in Serbia.
This is the original post of the lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic:
