site.btaGroup of Serbian Prosecutors, Judges Answers Protesters' Call, Demands Discussion on State of Country's Judicial System

Fulfilling the demands of protesting students, a group of judges and prosecutors demanded an urgent discussion on the state of the judiciary in Serbia, local media outlets reported on Tuesday.

In an open letter, a group of judges and prosecutors demanded that public meetings of the four highest judicial bodies - the Supreme Court, the Supreme Public Prosecution Office, the Supreme Judicial Council and the Supreme Prosecutorial Council - be scheduled by the end of April. The only item on the agenda of these meetings will be the current situation in the judiciary in Serbia and examples of illegal influence of political power on the prosecution and the courts, the open letter of the group states, quoted by Serbian newspaper Danas.

The open letter is a reaction to a statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who in late March said during a conversation with citizens in the town of Leskovac, South Serbia, that "those police officers and prosecutors who do not want to protect law and order will be replaced". The group of judges and prosecutors "Protect the Profession" argued that the public hearings in May will lead to concrete decisions on the student protests and the place of the judiciary in society.

A wave of protests, led by students, swept Serbia after the collapse of the station canopy in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad on November 1, killing 16 people. Students blockaded some 60 faculties across the country. According to the protesters, the tragedy occurred because of corrupt practices that led to shoddy repairs at the station. They demand that those responsible for the tragedy face political and penal consequences, and that institutions be allowed to work without political pressure and influence.