Serbia: Lawyer Čedomir Stojković’s trial for social media posts critical of government opens July 17th
On July 16, the IAPL Monitoring Committee reported that lawyer Čedomir Stojković’s trial was scheduled to begin on July 17 in a criminal case arising from social-media posts and online commentary critical of President Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian government. Stojković was arrested earlier in 2026 and spent more than four months in detention or under restrictive measures before an appellate court set aside the detention orders in late May. The Serbian Bar Association previously expressed concern that the political nature of the accusations and the prosecution’s treatment of Stojković suggested that detention was being used as coercion against his public criticism. The case demonstrates how criminal proceedings and restrictions on online communication can be used to silence lawyers who participate in opposition politics or challenge executive authority.