\u201cThis is just the beginning. We must prepare for Thursday because the Constitutional Court wants to annul the decree that suspended the spatial plan for this purpose,\u201d said Zlatko Kokanovi\u0107 after being released from custody in Loznica late on July 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRio Sava submitted that request. We must be there on Thursday to help them make the right decision. Because if they annul that decree, the mine will move forward. We cannot allow that,\u201d Kokanovi\u0107 said in a speech to around 200 people who were protesting outside the police station against his and other activists’ detainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On July 7 in Loznica, the police detained seven people during a protest against the Jadar project and filed criminal charges against them after they blocked the railway in Loznica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Neboj\u0161a Petkovi\u0107’s wife, Marijana Trbovi\u0107 Petkovi\u0107, told media outlet N1 that the police arrested the activists just as the blockade was about to end and used excessive force: \u201cYou saw in the video, over 15 policemen dragged Zlatko Kokanovi\u0107, who weighs 80 kilograms, to arrest him. Probably to prove something to someone in Belgrade, we don\u2019t know what the goal was. The blockade was planned for two hours as a warning about what the Constitutional Court plans to do on Thursday. But obviously someone does not want the people to put an end to this mining project,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that criminal charges will be filed against Zlatko Kokanovi\u0107 for endangering traffic and attacking an official in the performance of official duties, as well as a misdemeanor charge for improper parking and failing to comply with the order of an authorized official,\u201d reported BGEN. According to the same source, Neboj\u0161a Petkovi\u0107 is suspected of attacking police officers on duty. Other activists are accused of obstructing officials in the performance of their duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The police claim that eight members of the law enforcement were injured, while activists claim that Neboj\u0161a Petkovi\u0107 was forcibly pulled into the police cordon by the police major Petar Grbi\u0107 who was dressed in civilian garb. According to lawyers, all detainees denied the charges and were released a few hours later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n