Security Forces Are Being Detained In Serbia

• 5.11.2026, 13:51

Justice has prevailed.

In Belgrade, several police officers were arrested on suspicion of using excessive force against students during anti-government protests last year, according to Euronews.

According to a statement from the local Ministry of the Interior, on Wednesday Serbian authorities detained eight active-duty police officers and one former officer—who was no longer on duty at the time of the offense—on suspicion of cruel treatment and torture.

The nine suspects “used force and threats to inflict severe pain and suffering on several victims” while on duty in August 2025. A statement from the Ministry of the Interior said that the law enforcement officers’ actions were intended “to extract information, intimidate them, and punish them unlawfully.”

The alleged incident took place in a garage inside a government building in Belgrade.

Although those detained were identified only by their initials and year of birth, the Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported that among those arrested is Igor Zmirić, commander of the country’s special counterterrorism unit.

Student activist Nikolina Sindjelic, who had previously been detained during anti-government protests in August, accused Zmirić of kicking her while she was lying on the garage floor.

Late last month, the student-led movement won the parliamentary elections, defeating Serbia’s longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić.

The Student List movement, which emerged after months of student protests, quickly became the country’s most important political force.

The protests began in 2024 following a deadly accident at a recently renovated train station in November of that year. This tragedy sparked widespread demonstrations and heightened scrutiny of government accountability and corruption.

Student groups repeatedly accused the police of using excessive force when dispersing demonstrations.