Branko Stamenković, President of the High Council of Prosecutors (VST), has expressed doubts about the legality and impartiality of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office (VJT) in Belgrade after being summoned as a suspect in connection with the criminal offense of “negligence in office” related to the convening of an extraordinary VST session.
In a statement released today, Stamenković said that the summons, issued by Chief Public Prosecutor Nenad Stefanović and Acting Prosecutor Aleksandar Milošević, was made contrary to the Criminal Procedure Code, before there was any established factual basis to suspect that he, or any other individual, had committed a criminal offense. The summons was based on materials from the 21st extraordinary VST session, which had been provided to the VJT at its request for the purpose of gathering information.
Stamenković further alleged that the initiative for the criminal complaint was lodged not by a law enforcement body, but by Minister of Justice Nenad Vujić, a VST member by office. According to Stamenković, Vujić cited partial facts regarding the extraordinary session, while excluding actions that led to the annulment of lawfully conducted elections for Council members, as well as his own and other minority members’ actions, which could potentially constitute the alleged offense.
“Considering the coordination between the complainant and the leadership of the VJT in Belgrade, alongside their previous public statements and readiness to lodge a false complaint, there are significant circumstances that raise doubts about the legality and impartiality of the VJT’s proceedings,” Stamenković said.
He added that on January 29, 2026, he requested that the Supreme Public Prosecutor review the VJT Belgrade case to assess the circumstances regarding the legality and impartiality of their actions and determine whether there are legitimate reasons to reassign the case to a prosecutor who would handle it impartially and in accordance with the law.
Stamenković also noted that the refusal of VJT Belgrade to provide the case files to the Supreme Public Prosecutor constitutes, in his view, a direct violation of Article 23 of the Law on Public Prosecutor’s Offices, further reinforcing concerns about the impartiality and legality of the Belgrade office’s actions.
