Belgrade – Dragan Đilas, president of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), called on authorities to immediately prosecute Milenko Jovanov following statements in which he appeared to suggest that members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) would be willing to use lethal force against citizens to maintain power.
Commenting on Jovanov’s remarks, which compared protests in Iran to demonstrations in Serbia, Đilas described the statement as the most dangerous message sent by the Vučić regime to date, asserting that it implied readiness to shoot at their own people to stay in office.
“Jovanov inadvertently confirmed what the regime has long tried to hide: that the country is governed by people who, to remain in power, would order mass killings of Serbian citizens,” Đilas said. He added that Jovanov’s gratitude that there were no casualties—phrased as the “colored revolution” being defeated—demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life, placing political survival above citizens’ safety.
Đilas emphasized that by comparing Iran and Serbia, Jovanov revealed an uncomfortable truth: citizens in both countries are resisting authoritarian systems that restrict their freedoms.
The SSP leader further warned that if Jovanov is not immediately dismissed, it would indicate that the entire SNS leadership is willing to take similar extreme measures to preserve positions and privileges. Đilas also urged the Serbian Prosecutor’s Office to respond to the statement.
