Serbian police detain 79 protesters as dissent persists against populist president

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian police said they detained 79 university students and other protesters as they broke up street blockades in several cities that are part of persistent dissent against President Aleksandar Vucic’s populist government.

Officers in riot gear intervened late Wednesday and early Thursday in the capital, Belgrade, the northern city of Novi Sad and the southern cities of Nis and Novi Pazar. Authorities denied reports of police brutality and excessive force against demonstrators.

University students behind the protests said police charged and injured scores of peaceful demonstrators. Witnesses told local media that riot police beat up protesters with batons and shields and that four students were hospitalized, including one with a broken clavicle.

Four officers were injured and a police vehicle was damaged, the Interior Ministry said in their statement, noting officers “acted in accordance with the law” while responding to the unrest Wednesday and early Thursday.

The European Union mission in Serbia and the United Nations Human Rights Office said they were monitoring the situation closely and urged de-escalation.

“We strongly condemn all acts of hate and violence,” the EU in Serbia said on X. “The rights of peaceful demonstration, freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are to be upheld.”

The statement added that “police action must be proportionate and respect fundamental rights.”

The U.N. Human Rights Office also on X urged authorities to “exercise restraint & to respect freedom of expression & peaceful assembly.”

Tensions in the Balkan country have soared since a rally Saturday demanding early parliamentary elections. The gathering by tens of thousands of people in Belgrade ended with clashes between riot police and groups of protesters.

Vucic has refused to schedule a snap vote despite more than eight months of persistent demonstrations. The protests began in November after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, killing 16 people and triggering allegations of corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects.

Parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2027. While rejecting the election demand, Vucic has stepped up government pressure to curb the protests that he describes as “terror” and attempts to bring down the state.

On Thursday, Vucic pardoned four activists of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party who were accused of beating up a female student during protests in January in Novi Sad and breaking her jaw. The incident at the time prompted the resignation of then Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.

Critics say Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power over a decade ago, stifling democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and organized crime to flourish, which he has denied.

Serbia is formally seeking entry to the European Union, but Vucic’s government has nourished relations with Russia and China.