Officials warn: Serbia ignores soldiers' problems

After a Serb Army soldier threatened to kill himself outside parliament, the Army Union and the Veterans' Association warned that many soldiers are worried by debts, or have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Poor living standards for soldiers, post-traumatic stress disorders and the lack of legislation to help war veterans are causing even incidents as threats to suicide outside parliament Thursday, the Serbian Army Union and the Veterans' Association said.

“We have announced in many of our press statements that this will happen more and more often,” said Novica Antiq, chairman of the Serbian Army Union.

“Army members who fought in wars now feel abandoned, disappointed and rejected,” warned Antic.

He said that more than 75 per cent of Serbian Army troops have lower than average incomes and that many of them live in “debt slaves” because they pay off loans.

Serbian media reported Thursday that a Serb Army soldier threatened to blow himself up in front of the parliament building in Belgrade.

Reports said he had a gun and a hand grenade. After talks with the police, he surrendered.

Antic said more than 80 per cent of Serbian Army soldiers are war veterans.

“in a three-year period, we had three suicide attempts and one suicide,” he added.

The body of a soldier was found Monday morning in his apartment in the southern Serbian town of Nis.

Although there is still no official confirmation, Serbian media reported that he committed suicide.

In July 2016, a major threatened to set himself on fire before the Ministry of Defense. After agreeing that his case would be discussed, he returned home.

In March 2016, a soldier shot himself in the head of the local Army headquarters in the city of Zajecar.

A month ago, one of the members of the Serbian Special Forces committed suicide in Belgrade.

In October 2016, a retired soldier threatened to kill himself in front of the Serbian government building with a bomb.

He was arrested and police said the threat to suicide was caused by “personal problems”.

In May 2017, another soldier from Loznica committed suicide by falling into the Danube. Serbian media reported that he did so because of debts.

The head of the Association of Serbian War veterans, Zeljko Vukelic, told BIRN that the organisation has four psychologists helping veterans.

“We have group sessions, but even individual sessions, as many of them are ashamed to admit they have problems,” explained Vukeliq.

Vukelic added that of five veterans who volunteer daily at the Society's office, three have been diagnosed with PTSD.

“is very common and the state is not investing in resolving this issue,” he said.

He suggested that most cases of domestic violence involving war veterans are also caused by PTSD.

The initial download is usually a small event, a daily event that awakens the worst in one person,”, he said.

Vukeliq acknowledged that Serbia urgently needs a Law on Veterans and added that its Association will present its legislation Saturday.

After that, we will start collecting 30,000 firms for support so that we can pass legislation on the Serbian parliament's agenda,”, he said.

The issues raised by petitions collecting 30,000 signatures are placed on parliament's agenda.