After the US administration blacklisted the director of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) Aleksandar Vulin, institutional officials in Serbia have not commented on this decision.
However, a part of the Serbian opposition has called for Vulin’s immediate removal from the leadership of the BIA.
The Free Citizens’ Movement (PSG), a pro-European opposition party, stated that it demands Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to immediately dismiss Aleksandar Vulin from his position as BIA director during the next government session.
“It is known that Aleksandar Vulin is a threat to the security of Serbia and the region, and it was only a matter of time before such accusations were made. The fact that an unqualified person like Vulin is in charge of the BIA is a slap in the face for the whole world and all citizens of Serbia. He must be immediately dismissed,” said PSG deputy Pavle Grbović in a statement.
He added that the fact that the BIA director is under sanctions means that “Serbia is compromised because such a person, holding such a position, represents a direct threat to security and is a problem for all citizens”.
“We must not allow the entire state to be isolated,” he emphasized.
Vulin was sanctioned for allegations of involvement in corruption and drug trafficking, as well as for his connections with Russia.
“He has used his public positions to support Russia, facilitating Russia’s malign activities that degrade the security and stability of the Western Balkans and providing Russia a platform to further its influence in the region,” the US Treasury Department said in its announcement.
Marinika Tepić, a member of the Serbian Parliament’s Committee for Control and Security Services from the pro-European party Liberty and Justice wrote on Twitter that “Vulin is under US sanctions on suspicions of corruption and drug trafficking. Let’s see what message this will be for [Serbian President] Aleksandar Vučić.”
Aleksandar Vulin, od danas inkriminisano lice umešano u trgovinu drogom, korupciju i kriminal, jedan je od najbližih Vučićevih saradnika – 3 puta ministar, sada šef BIA.
U svakoj normalnoj državi Vlada bi danas pala, a predsednik države podneo ostavku!
1/5https://t.co/y8i2uz7prJ— Marinika Tepić (@MarinikaTepic) July 11, 2023
Borko Stefanović from the same party said that for the first time in Serbia’s recent history, the head of a security agency has been included on the US blacklist for corruption and involvement in drug trafficking.
“Vulin is a great harm to the state and the interests of citizens,” Stefanović said.
Meanwhile, Nebojša Zelenović, a deputy from the pro-European “Together We Can” list, said that “the circle is tightening”.
Former member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party Dragan Šormaz said that Vulin’s sanctions are “just the beginning”, as, according to him, other “close associates” of President Vučić will also be added to the sanctions list.
- What does the law say?
The law on the BIA states that the director of this agency is appointed and can be dismissed by the Government, but the conditions that the director must meet are not specified in the legislation.
According to the law, the National Security Council provides its opinion to the Government regarding the proposal for the appointment or dismissal of security agency directors.
The National Security Council, among others, includes the President of Serbia, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of the Interior.
