The president of the Novi Sad City Board for the political party Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) and provincial MP was arrested last night. His hearing took place this morning, December 5th.
As announced late last night by the Novi Sad branch of the Movement of Free Citizens, after learning that a warrant had been issued for Jovović, they went to the Old Town police station. Jovović voluntarily turned himself in, accompanied by his lawyer. He was arrested and remained in the police station overnight to appear before the prosecutor on the morning of December 5th.
The provincial MP has been charged with assaulting a public official. The prosecutor has requested a 30-day detention for Jovović. The MP has been placed under house arrest for the duration of this period.
Before being arrested, Jovović told Mašina “Everyone who enters politics under this dictatorial regime must be prepared for the same. Whatever they do to us will only make us stronger. Even from prison, a lot can be accomplished, as long as there are pens and paper.”
Opposition MPs and councilors have openly clashed with police on several occasions in recent weeks. Radivoje Jovović, a member of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, believes that the presence of opposition leaders on the front lines of these struggles is crucial for building trust amongst the people.
Jovović says that the executive authority—rather than an independent prosecution, which he believes does not exist—persistently arrests young people, aiming to achieve two goals: “to intimidate the youth and create a rift between the people and the opposition.”
“We must not allow them to do that. That’s why the struggle of us MPs and councilors on the front lines is crucial—for building trust and ensuring the safety of the people standing behind us. That’s why we, opposition politicians, must take the most risk, even when it doesn’t align with our instincts and preferences,” Jovović tells Mašina.
Jovović wishes we lived in a normal society where debates could focus on topics like electoral system reform and the decentralization of the bureaucracy, “but we do not live in a normal society.”
“People have been killed; we live under a dictatorship of crime and dirty capital. That’s why it’s time for the streets, where everyone must choose whether they are on the side of the people or a mere opportunist,” Jovović emphasized.
During a confrontation with the police at a session of the Novi Sad Assembly, Jovović stood out by directly addressing the officers, urging them to arrest criminals instead of targeting peaceful protesters on behalf of the ruling party. Instead of heeding his advice, the security apparatus has chosen to do more of the same, this time affecting Jovović himself.
I.K.
