Serbia detains nine officers over alleged protester abuse

Serbian authorities have detained nine active police officers and one former officer for allegedly using excessive force against detainees during anti-corruption protests in Belgrade. The interior ministry announced the arrests on Wednesday.

The protests, which took place in 2025 and 2026, were sparked by the deaths of 16 people when a concrete canopy collapsed at a renovated railway station in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024. These events led to widespread demonstrations across the country.

The protests resulted in the ouster of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), a populist party loyal to former president Aleksandar Vučić, in a snap parliamentary election on 25 October. The Student List, a leaderless opposition group, won the election.

According to the ministry's statement, the detained officers, who served in an elite unit, tortured and intimidated individuals detained in a government compound garage in downtown Belgrade on 14-15 August 2025. The statement described the actions as involving force and threats to obtain information and intimidate detainees.

The ministry provided only the initials of the officers and former officer involved. This marks the first major arrests related to violence against protesters over the past two years. Police used tear gas, crowd-control vehicles, and stun grenades to disperse crowds during the demonstrations.

Dozens of students and activists who participated in the protests accused police of excessive use of force that resulted in injuries and psychological trauma. Serbian students, activists, opposition politicians, and rights watchdogs have accused Vučić and the SNS of political violence, pressure against media, ties to organized crime, and rampant corruption. Vučić and his allies have denied these allegations.