By Salma El-Sakka
Serbian authorities detained nine active police officers and one former officer on Wednesday for allegedly using excessive force against detainees during anti-corruption protests in Belgrade last year, the interior ministry said.
Elite unit accused of garage abuse
The suspects, who served in an elite unit, are accused of torturing and intimidating several people held in the garage of the government compound in downtown Belgrade on August 14-15, 2025, according to a ministry statement. The statement said the officers used force and threats to inflict severe suffering, intending to obtain information and unlawfully punish detainees.
First major arrests linked to protest crackdown
The arrests mark the first major legal action linked to violence against protesters who have demonstrated since a concrete canopy collapse at a Novi Sad railway station killed 16 people on November 1, 2024. The disaster sparked nationwide anti-corruption protests that led to the ouster of the Serbian Progressive Party, loyal to former president Aleksandar Vučić, in a snap parliamentary election on October 25.
Allegations of systematic police violence
Dozens of students and activists have accused police of excessive force, including tear gas, crowd-control vehicles, and stun grenades, causing injuries and psychological trauma. Rights groups and opposition figures have also alleged political violence, media pressure, and corruption by Vučić and his allies, accusations they deny.
