Arrests and investigations as Serbia begins post-election clean-up

The landslide victory of the Students' List in Serbia's general election seems to have removed a blockage in the justice system: Cases that were long stalled are now suddenly moving forward. Air Serbia flight JU134 from Belgrade to Moscow on November 3 was already deep in Lithuanian airspace when the crew received instructions to return to the Serbian capital.

All three are well known in Serbia for their close ties to Moscow and for controversies, including allegations of corruption and abuse of public office. According to unofficial reports published by several media outlets, the plane was ordered back because of a security breach: Vulin had allegedly boarded without undergoing the mandatory security screening.

Since 2023, Vulin has been under US sanctions over what Washington described as "engaging in corrupt and destabilizing activities that undermine the rule of law in the Western Balkans." Bajatovic, however, said he did not know why Vulin and Popovic were travelling to Moscow and denied that the two would attend the scheduled meetings on gas supplies.