Five Gendarmerie members suspended over incident

Five Gendarmerie members suspended over incident

“Five members of the Gendarmerie who were immediately involved in or had issued instructions pertaining to the incident have been suspended. When the investigation will have been completed, we will be able to release the results in cooperation with the Prosecutor's Office,” Stefanovic said.

He expressed the expectation that the investigation would be completed by the beginning of the next week at the latest, and he refused to comment on the facts that are object of the investigation.

“The investigation will establish all facts,” Stefanovic told reporters. Asked to specify whether this also covers the movement of security members protecting the Prime Minister's brother, Stefanovic noted that nobody's movement is being looked into and that the proceedings will focus on the elements of criminal act, if there were any.

In an incident which occurred in the centre of Belgrade on Sunday, during the Pride Parade, members of the Nis Gendarmerie beat up the Prime Minister's brother as he was walking along a street off the Pride March route in the company of three more people.

The Pride Parade was protected by strong police forces.

Asked to comment on the Prime Minister's statement according to which the attack was aimed at him personally, Stefanovic replied that all potential aspects and motives are being looked into.

The Minister previously attended the reception ceremony for the new generation of students of the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies in Belgrade.