Serbian activists filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office against the Wagner PMC, accusing it of recruiting Serbs for the war in Ukraine, and demanded that a criminal case be opened against the PMC, as well as against the head of Serbian intelligence, Alexander Vulin. This is reported by Reuters, referring to the Belgrade lawyer and head of the human rights group "October" Chedomir Stojkovic.
The statement also includes the Russian ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botan-Kharchenko, and the head of the Serbian State Security and Information Agency (ASI). Activists believe that Vulin could give orders that the activities of PMC Wagner in Serbia were not hindered. According to Stojkovic, Bocan-Kharchenko, who enjoys diplomatic immunity, cannot be prosecuted in Serbia, but he can be ordered to leave the country.
On Monday, January 16, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić criticized Russian websites and groups on social networks for publishing an advertisement for PMC Wagner in Serbian. In a statement, the PMC, one of the founders of which is the recidivist criminal Yevgeny Prigozhin, invites volunteers to join its ranks. Vučić demanded that the recruitment of citizens to participate in the war cease. Previously, the PMCs' advertisement was reported on the Balkan version of the RT propaganda channel, after which the US authorities expressed concern. Serbian citizens are prohibited from participating in armed conflicts abroad. The Serbian service of Radio Liberty reported that more than 30 people who fought on the side of Russia against Ukraine were convicted in Serbia.
Earlier, The Insider journalists called one of the advertisements advertising PMC Wagner, posters with numbers are now hung in many cities of Russia. It turned out that almost anyone is ready to take on the service, the criminal past and alcohol addiction do not play any role. A full dialogue with the "employer" is at the link .