Slovenian President Borut Pahor has voiced alarm about a video showing what looked like a masked armed unit led by the country's former right-wing presidential candidate Andrej Sisko. The video, published on Sisko's Facebook page, showed dozens of masked people allegedly taking a "solemn oath."
"President Pahor stresses that Slovenia is a safe country in which no unauthorized person needs or is allowed to […] illegally care for the security of the country and its borders," the BBC quoted Pahor's Cabinet as saying in a statement.
It was echoed by outgoing Slovene Prime Minister Miro Cerar, who described the formation of the so-called Stajerska Guard group as an "absolutely unacceptable" step which he said "needlessly stirs up fear and spreads hatred."
Prime Minister-designate Marjan Sarec, in turn, tweeted that any armed group outside Slovenia's security forces "undermines the constitutional and legal order."
Sisko, who earlier served a two-year jail sentence for attempted murder, called the group a voluntary defense force consisting of "several hundred people" who would "secure public peace and order" if needed.
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He also admitted that the weapons carried by Stajerska Guard members had not been registered with authorities.
"The police have not visited me so far but I expect their visit. We are doing nothing wrong and we would be even interested in co-operating with the police," Sisko pointed out as cited by the BBC.
At the same time, he made it clear that his unit "would not watch quietly" if policeman attempted to disarm them.
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Euronews has, meanwhile, reported that the Stajerska Guard is allegedly poised for "a hot autumn that will turn Slovenia into Venezuela" and that the group is preparing for a "war" with Muslims and left-wing organizations. The news outlet also cited Sisko as saying that the group was formed on June 24, 2017.