Due to serious concerns about the independence and integrity of the legal system in Serbia, the international observers will monitor the criminal proceedings against Aleksandar Obradovic, the whistleblower who has discovered suspicious arms trade and link it to the country’s top officials, the FoNet news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Coalition of South-Eastern Europe for Protection of Whistleblower and the European Centre for Whistleblowers’ Rights.

The international legal experts were invited to Belgrade to ensure the adjustment of the criminal proceedings and trial with all European and international standards, including the list of necessary elements that had to be honoured in evaluating a country’s implementation of the rule of law as stipulated by the Venice Commission in 2016.

The observes will monitor all investigative and court actions and decisions, including their presence in a courtroom to secure that Obradovic has fair, transparent and timely justice proceeding.

The European Commission reported last year that “the corruption is spread in Serbia’s courts,” adding that leaves space for inappropriate political influence over the judiciary.”

Serbia’s legal system is at the 78th position on the list of 126 countries covered by the World Project for Justice’ Index of Rule of Law.

With 0,38 points, Serbia is in the company of the Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Morocco and Tanzania.

Obradovic was arrested on September 18, 2019, by secret service officers at5 his workplace in the factory. He was identified as the whistleblower following his findings of the Krusik ammunition factory in Serbia shady arms deals with private arms and ammunition traders published by the Arms Watch website.

After spending some time in jail and following civil protests, Obradovic was put under house arrest and finally released.

The Public Prosecutor charged Obradovic of revealing business secrets. The crime bears up to ten years in jail.