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In Serbia, the revelations of Aleksandar Obradovic overwhelm the government

For six weeks, a Serbian whistleblower has been under house arrest. Aleksandar Obradovic denounced the dark affairs of the arms factory Krusik, which sold arms to Saudi Arabia "via" the company of the father of the Minister of the Interior ... The regime is doing everything to try to to stifle the scandal.

The scandal erupted on October 10, when the opposition weekly NIN revealed that the whistleblower had been held incommunicado since September 18. Immediately demonstrations erupted in the city of Janjevo, about 100 kilometers from Belgrade, whose Krusik armaments factory is the main employer. Aleksandar Obradovic was released from prison but was immediately placed under house arrest. While the scandal became political, opposition MP Marinika Tepic was trying to get the government to explain arms sales. For the opposition, the whistleblower has become a hero, the " Serbian Snowden ".

Disturbing revelations

In the past, weapons produced in Serbia were exported by a public company, SDPR, but the market was liberalized after the arrival of the Serbian Progressive Party. The training of President Vučić has allowed private intermediaries to engage in these exports. Aleksandar Obradovic revealed that five firms enjoyed ultra-advantageous conditions, prices well below the market and a quasi-monopoly situation. It even appears that the factory Krusik sells for several years to losses, which could quickly jeopardize this company of 3 000 employees.

Among these export companies, the largest, GIM, belongs to Branko Stefanovic, the father of the Minister of the Interior, a newcomer on the arms market, who has obviously benefited from political protections. In fact, the deregulation of the arms market, burdening the public funds, has benefited some circles close to power. The whistleblower did not reveal any military or manufacturing secrets. On the basis of public accounting documents, he tried to alert the court, which refused to hear him. He is now only charged with " breach of professional secrecy ", but remains under house arrest in his small apartment in Valjevo.

Serbia, a major historical arms producer

Arms manufacturing is one of the few industrial sectors in the country still functioning. Serbia, like Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, inherited some markets where the former Yugoslavia was very active, such as the non-aligned countries of Africa. Arms sales have exploded since the Arab Spring, followed by wars in Libya, Syria or Yemen. Serbia produces small arms, cheap and simple weapons, without great technology, but perfectly adapted to this type of conflict.

Of course, weapons sold to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates are used in Yemen or are subsequently sold to all warring factions in Syria, but Belgrade can pretend to ignore this reality. On the other hand, Aleksandar Obradovic has uncovered the nepotism and corruption practices that are at the heart of the Serbian regime. By arresting him and then putting him under house arrest, the Belgrade government surely wanted to set an example, to dissuade all those who, like him, might be tempted to reveal this kind of practice.