BELGRADE, Serbia — The father of tennis player Jelena Dokic has been charged with threatening the Australian ambassador in Belgrade.

Damir Dokic could face up to eight years in prison for “endangering security” of the ambassador and unlawful possession of weapons, his lawyer, Bosiljka Djukic, told The Associated Press on Friday.
Dokic was arrested after he reportedly said he would blow up ambassador Clair Birgin’s car if she did not stop negative articles about him from being published in Australian media.
Police found rifles and hand grenades during the search of his house in northern Serbia.
Jelena Dokic had given interviews to Australian media saying her father had beaten her in the past.
Djukic said she will argue that the authorities should leave it to Birgin to decide whether to press charges against Dokic.
There was no comment from the ambassador. Earlier, the Australian embassy in Belgrade published a government statement saying they were taking any threats against Australia’s diplomats seriously.
Dokic has told Serbian media he would fire a rocket launcher at Birgin’s car but later toned down his statements, saying they were made in anger. He has also admitted to having beaten his daughter.