Detention ordered for Čedo Čolović arrested on espionage charges

19:00

The court ordered detention for 30 days at the request of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade today launched an investigation against Čedo Čolović (57), a retired officer of the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, who was arrested on Friday in Ugrinovci, suspected of espionage for Croatia, and proposed to the court to order him detention, Patria reports.

The decision on detention will be made by the end of the day.

After the hearing, the prosecutor proposed to the judge for the preliminary procedure of the Higher Court in Belgrade to order him detention due to the risk of flight, to prevent him from influencing witnesses, to prevent him from repeating the criminal offense, and due to public disturbance, and the specified criminal offense carries a prison sentence of over 10 years, the prosecutor's office announced.

According to the Criminal Code of Serbia, a sentence of three to 15 years in prison is prescribed for those who disclose, hand over, or make available to a foreign state, foreign organization, or a person serving them, secrets - military, economic, or official.

A prison sentence of five to 15 years is prescribed for those who establish or lead an intelligence service in Serbia for a foreign state or organization.

A sentence of one to 10 years in prison is prescribed in the case of joining a foreign intelligence service, and one to eight years in the case of obtaining secret information or documents with the intention of disclosing or handing them over to a foreign state, organization, or person serving them.