Ten suspects, including nine active members of an elite unit and one former officer, were taken into custody for abuses committed on August 14–15, 2025. Authorities stated the officers tortured and intimidated detainees inside a government compound garage to unlawfully punish them and extract information. The unrest began after the November 1, 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad killed 16 people. Over the following months, police utilized tear gas, stun grenades, and crowd-control vehicles against crowds, prompting dozens of activists and students to report severe injuries and trauma.
Key points
The arrests represent the first major legal action addressing documented police violence…: The arrests represent the first major legal action addressing documented police violence against Serbian protesters over the past two years.
Mass public outrage over corruption and police brutality contributed to the ouster of the…: Mass public outrage over corruption and police brutality contributed to the ouster of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in a snap election.
Long-standing accusations of state-sponsored violence and media suppression against forme…: Long-standing accusations of state-sponsored violence and media suppression against former president Aleksandar Vučić's party culminated in significant political realignment.
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Serbian authorities detained nine active police officers and one former officer on Wednesday for allegedly using excessive force against detainees during anti-corruption protests last year in Belgrade, the country’s interior ministry said.
Anti-corruption protests swept across Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership, in 2025 and 2026 after 16 people died when a concrete canopy on a renovated railway station in the city of Novi Sad collapsed on 1 November 2024.
The protests ultimately resulted in the ouster of the populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which is loyal to former president Aleksandar Vučić, in an 25 October snap parliamentary election by the leaderless Student List.
The ministry said in a statement that the suspects, who served in an elite unit, tortured and intimidated several people detained in the garage of the government compound in downtown Belgrade on 14-15 August 2025.
“By the use of force and threats, (they) inflicted great pain and severe suffering on a larger number of persons, intending to obtain information from them and intimidating and unlawfully punishing them,” the statement said.
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