Serbian Police Detain Dozens Amid Ongoing Opposition Protests Over Election Results

On Monday, Serbian law enforcement officials reported the detention of at least 38 individuals who participated in a demonstration decrying alleged widespread irregularities in the recent general election results. The outcome of the election had declared the governing populists as the victors of the parliamentary and local council elections. Since the December 17th elections, the opposition group “Serbia Against Violence” has been organizing protests, asserting claims of election fraud, particularly within the capital city of Belgrade, where some politicians even embarked on a hunger strike.

In a dramatic turn of events on Sunday evening, protesters attempted to breach Belgrade’s city council building, resulting in the breaking of windows. Riot police intervened, employing tear gas, pepper spray, and batons to disperse the crowd. Senior police official Ivica Ivkovic disclosed that those detained are facing charges related to inciting the violent overthrow of the constitutional order, referring to an attempt to overthrow the government, as well as charges of violent behavior. He further noted that eight police officers sustained injuries, including some of a serious nature.

The opposition has accused the police of using excessive force and alleged that some of its supporters were subjected to physical assault.

On Monday, several hundred university students and other citizens blocked traffic on a key street in Belgrade, which houses government offices. Despite a police warning against road and bridge blockades in the capital, no incidents occurred, with some students engaging in volleyball and soccer games on a sunny day.

Ivica Ivkovic emphasized that the police are prepared and resolute in countering any acts of violence.

The Serbian Progressive Party, which currently governs, has denied any wrongdoing in the election and maintains that the electoral process was fair, despite criticism from both international monitors and local election observers.

President Aleksandar Vučić described Sunday’s protests as an attempt to destabilize the government with foreign support, although he did not specify the nature of this support. Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabić expressed gratitude towards Russia for providing advance warning of potential violent protests against the election results.

Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, after meeting with President Vučić on Monday, asserted that Vučić possesses “irrefutable evidence” of Western encouragement of opposition protests.

In a post on Instagram on Monday, President Vučić mentioned “mentors from abroad” who support his political opponents leading the protests but did not provide further details. He contended that police officers and state property were subjected to “brutal” attacks by those seeking to undermine democracy and the will of Serbia’s citizens expressed through the election.

Serbia, while formally pursuing European Union membership, maintains close ties with Moscow and has declined to join Western sanctions imposed on Russia due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The ruling party led by Vučić claimed victory in both the parliamentary and Belgrade city elections. However, Serbia Against Violence, the main opposition contender, alleges that they were unfairly denied victory, especially in Belgrade.

Various international human rights watchdogs that observed the elections reported multiple irregularities, including instances of vote-buying and ballot-box tampering. They also highlighted unfavorable conditions for opposition candidates due to media bias, the abuse of public resources by the ruling party, and Vučić’s domination of campaign and media time allocated to candidates, despite not participating in the elections himself.

In a letter sent to EU institutions, officials, and member nations on Thursday, Serbia Against Violence declared its non-recognition of the election outcome. The alliance called upon the EU to take a similar stance and initiate an investigation into the election results.

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More about Election Protests

• Serbian police detain protesters amid election fraud claims
• [Serbia Against Violence – Opposition group’s official website](https://www.srbija protiv nasilja.rs/)
• Serbian Progressive Party – Official website
• President Aleksandar Vučić – Official profile
• Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko – Profile
• European Union – Official website