Inspector Milenković's Case: Pressure, Degradation, Life Threat, and Transfer from Criminal Police

Inspector Slobodan Milenković, once a prominent figure in Serbia's fight against drug trafficking, faces a new chapter in what critics are calling a politically motivated persecution. Milenković, who led the investigation that uncovered the massive "Jovanjica" marijuana plantation, has been permanently transferred from the Criminal Police Directorate to the Ministry of Interior's Information Technology Sector. This move comes after nearly two decades in criminal investigations, despite his unit's significant role in seizing over a ton and a half of marijuana.

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The expulsion of Milenković from the criminal police is a new, legal-political jolt from centers of power, which in an atmosphere of political schizophrenia, are waging a campaign against bearers of expertise and independence in state systems, but also against facts and truth in an attempt to produce and maintain a fabricated reality.

His dismissal from the narcotics unit three years ago marked the beginning of a sustained campaign against him. The law firm Tomanović, representing Milenković, described his removal from criminal police as a "legal-political jolt from centers of power" aiming to discredit expertise and truth. Journalist Ivan Milićević echoed this sentiment, suggesting Milenković's "sin" was simply doing his job. The "Jovanjica" case, which began in 2019, is still awaiting a judicial conclusion, with two related court proceedings merged.

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The sin of Inspector Milenković, according to journalist Ivan Milićević, is that he did his job.

Milenković's life has reportedly been under threat, necessitating 24-hour security provided by members of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ). The choice of security detail itself became contentious, with inspectors reportedly refusing protection from a unit led by Marko Kričak, whose rise in police structures is linked to Bratislava Gašić, a name also mentioned in the "Jovanjica" trial. Despite the alleged threats and the ongoing legal battles concerning his dismissal and the state's responsibility, neither the Administrative nor the Constitutional Court has issued decisions in his case after three years.

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A continuous persecution has been carried out against that man for years. I will remind you that, according to security assessments, his life was threatened, which is why he still has security personnel from the SAJ who protect him 24 hours a day.

Milićević emphasized that this is not an internal MUP dispute but "political persecution by the state," evidenced by the courts' inaction. The Ministry of Interior has not yet provided a reason for Milenković's transfer to the IT department, leaving many to question the true motives behind sidelining an inspector recognized for his successes in combating narcotics.

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That is one of the proofs that it is political persecution, not persecution within the MUP itself due to some internal disagreements between colleagues. It is literally organized persecution by the state, which is also confirmed by the courts' failure to make decisions.