Cvetković: The police did not find me, I called them myself

BELGRADE, (Patria) - Journalist Stefan Cvetković held a press conference today at the Belgrade Media Center, for the first time since the news of his disappearance.

At the very beginning of the conference, Cvetković thanked everyone who genuinely cared and said that the police officers present were providing security because his safety was assessed as being endangered, Danas reports.

He added that he will seek an international investigation into the kidnapping, and that he is asking the competent authorities and officials to be available, and for the prosecutor to present everything important to the public, so that the public knows the truth about his disappearance.

At the beginning of the conference, he called prosecutor Knežević by phone, who was not available.

- Late Wednesday evening, I disappeared. Some masked and armed individuals took me away. After a few minutes without resistance or communication, they put a hood over my head and continued driving, I did not resist. They asked me if I was aware of what I was doing, and after that there was no communication - Cvetković stated at the beginning of his address.

With a hood over his head, according to him, time seemed to last forever, but hope appeared when he heard the sound of a helicopter.

- Time seemed to last forever with that on my head, and at one point I heard a helicopter. I'm not sure how many people were with me in the room, but always at least two. At one point, they asked me where they were taking me, after which they drove me away again in a passenger vehicle – Cvetković recalled.

In his address, he added that his abductors told him at one point, "we are leaving you here and you must not lift the hood from your head for five minutes."

- When I heard the sound of children, I took it off my head. No one from the police found me, I called the police - Cvetković added in his address to those present.

He stated that the police then took him to Belgrade to the office of Ms. Dijana Hrkalović, who was traveling with them by car.

- The talks lasted four to five hours. The cooperation with the police was exceptional. They also performed medical examinations for me at the Military Medical Academy. I contacted my family at one point and had no information about what was happening. I also spoke with Minister Nebojša Stefanović - Cvetković pointed out.

- I was on a polygraph, two questions, whether I work for a foreign service, I failed that question, if the system were fair, I would have been detained because of that - Cvetković stated.

In conversation with journalists, he emphasized that even his friend from the state service, who always used to answer his calls, did not want to answer him these days. He added that the whole event was not done because of him but because of some "intentions".

- Someone did this for some intentions, not because of me. I could recognize the person who took me away - Cvetković stated.

He added that he was not tied up or beaten during the abduction.

- The targets here are those who do not want to remain silent, who investigate - Cvetković concluded.