Serbian officers arrested for using ‘excessive force’ against protesters

Nine serving Serbian police officers and one former officer have been arrested over allegations that they used excessive force against injured people during student protests in Belgrade in August 2025. The arrests bring scrutiny to the police as Serbia’s student-led protest movement presses for reforms after the governing party’s electoral defeat.

The Interior Ministry alleges the officers used force and threats to inflict severe pain and suffering in a government compound garage to obtain information, intimidate and unlawfully punish several people. The ministry said the suspects belonged to an elite unit; state broadcaster RTS reported that its commander, Igor Zmiric, was among those detained. The protests began after 16 people died in a railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024, which fuelled allegations of corruption.