Serbia detains nine active police officers and one former officer over alleged excessive force against protesters

Summary

Serbian authorities detained nine active police officers and one former officer on Wednesday, November 4, over alleged excessive force against detainees during anti-corruption protests in Belgrade last year, the Interior Ministry said. The ministry claims the suspects tortured and intimidated protesters held in a garage of a government compound. Euronews reported that the officers are accused of using excessive force and violence against student protesters, and Al Jazeera put the number of suspects at ten. The arrests come amid anti-corruption protests that swept Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership, in 2025 and 2026, after 16 people died when a concrete canopy on a renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed on November 1, 2024.

Timeline

1. Straits Times

   4 Nov 2026, 20:02 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Serbian authorities detained nine active police officers and one former officer on Wednesday for allegedly using excessive force against detainees during anti-corruption protests last year in Belgrade, according to the Interior Ministry.

2. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 20:42 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that nine active police officers and one former officer were detained on Wednesday over alleged excessive force against protesters, with the interior ministry claiming the suspects tortured and intimidated detainees held in a garage of a government compound.

3. Euronews

   5 Nov 2026, 04:34 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that the police officers are accused of having used excessive force and violence against student protesters during anti-government protests last year.

4. Al Jazeera

   5 Nov 2026, 10:34 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that ten suspects are accused of abusing and torturing several people in the garage of a government compound in Belgrade, in a case of alleged excessive force against protesters.