Suspects arrested for causing panic released from custody

BELGRADE - The criminal pre-trial chamber of the High Court in Belgrade released from custody on Thursday three persons suspected of spreading false information on social networks about the number of persons killed in the floods that hit Serbia last week.

The Court spokesperson Dusica Ristic told Tanjug that the criminal pre-trial chamber upheld the appeals of the defendants, allowing them to be released from custody pending criminal proceedings.

The suspects have been placed in 30-day custody by a pre-trial judge on May 22, at the request of the Prosecutor's Office for High Technology Crime, citing fear that they might repeat the offense.

However, having considered the defendants' appeals and taking into account the fact that they do not have previous convictions and that the police have seized the computers used to commit the crimes they were charged with, the criminal pre-trial chamber concluded that the reasons for remanding them in custody no longer exist, Ristic explained.

High Technology Crime Prosecutor Branko Stamenkovic told Tanjug earlier today that suspects I.M, K.M. and T.P. were charged with the criminal offence of attempted spreading of panic and disorder, and face six months to five years in prison.

The investigation is in the final stages of completion and the prosecutor's office will soon make the decision on future steps in this case, Stamenkovic added.

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