Settlements in Serbia. Police officers detained for torture in a government complex

Serbia is settling into a new political reality after the victory of the Student List. The road to success led through the protests that began after the tragedy in Novi Sad. On November 1, 2024, in this city, the concrete roof of the renovated railway station collapsed, killing 16 people.

The first such decisions

There were brutal police interventions during the demonstration. One of them concerns the case of detained policemen who served in an elite unit.

The Ministry of Interior said that officers allegedly tortured and intimidated several detained people in the garage of the government complex in central Belgrade on August 14-15, 2025.

"By using force and threats, they inflicted great pain and suffering on a larger number of people in order to obtain information from them and to intimidate and illegally punish them," the statement said.

The ministry only provided the initials of the detained officers. The decision means arrests in connection with violence against protesters who have taken to the streets over the past two years.

During the protests, police used tear gas, crowd control vehicles, and stun grenades to disperse gatherings during the protests.

A long list of accusations against the former government and its services

Dozens of students and activists who took part in the protests accused the police of excessive use of force that led to injuries and psychological trauma.

Serbian students, activists, opposition politicians and human rights organizations accuse former president Alexander Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party of political violence, pressure on the media, links to organized crime and widespread corruption. Vucic and his allies deny these accusations.