In this March 15, 2020, photo, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a news conference in Belgrade, Serbia. Since declaring nationwide state of emergency Vucic has suspended parliament, giving him widespread powers such as closing borders and introducing a 12-hour curfew. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
March 31, 2020
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March 31, 2020 12:56 a.m.
Dismantling democracy? Virus used as excuse to quell dissent
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Soldiers patrol the streets with their fingers on machine gun triggers. The army guards an exhibition center-turned-makeshift-hospital crowded with rows of metal beds for those infected with the coronavirus. And Serbia’s president warns residents that Belgrade's graveyards won’t be big enough to bury the dead if people ignore his government's lockdown orders.