Serbia detains police officers over alleged use of force against protesters

Serbian authorities have arrested nine active and one former police officers for allegedly using excessive force against detainees during anti-corruption protests in 2025, according to the country's interior ministry. The incidents occurred on August 14-15, 2025, at the government compound's garage in Belgrade, where the suspects, who served in an elite unit, allegedly tortured and intimidated several detained persons to extract information and intimidate them.

The ministry stated that the officers intended to unlawfully punish the detainees. The arrests marked the first major action in connection with the violence against protesters who took to the streets over the past two years. Tear gas, crowd-control vehicles, and stun grenades were used by police to disperse crowds during the protests.

Dozens of students, activists, opposition politicians, and rights watchdogs have accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his SNS party of political violence, pressure on the media, ties to organized crime, and widespread corruption. Vucic and his allies deny these accusations.