Europe's top human rights body on July 4 raised concerns that Serbian authorities are using violence and capricious arrests to disperse protests against President Aleksandar Vučić's populist government. The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, Michael O’Flaherty, wrote in a statement that he was "concerned about the current human rights situation in Serbia.” He specifically noted “the arrest of children, as well as the number of students being charged for criminal offenses or hospitalized for the treatment of injuries."

Serbian police have recently escalated their use of force to dismantle street blockades and curb large-scale protests denouncing the government and demanding snap parliamentary elections. The police actions have drawn criticism from the Council of Europe over the use of excessive force.

On July 3, officers stated that Serbian police detained 79 demonstrators during nationwide rallies in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, and Novi Pazar. For the past eight months, students, opposition groups, and civil society have organized persistent anti-corruption demonstrations.

Protests first erupted in the Balkan state following the November 2024 collapse of a Novi Sad railway station canopy that claimed 16 lives, an event that was widely seen as emblematic of years of government negligence. Since June 28, tens of thousands of students and supporters have erected barricades across major urban intersections, staging silent blockades at 11:52 AM  CET—the exact time of day when the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapsed.

Police have repeatedly cleared these encampments. According to witnesses, this week’s riot police wounded and arrested participants with shields and batons that left four students hospitalized, leading O'Flaherty to condemn the "excessive use of force" and "arbitrary detentions."

President Aleksandar Vučić, who remains in power until 2027, has framed the demonstrations as foreign‑backed "terror" plots, praising security forces and rejecting calls for early elections.

As EU scrutiny intensifies over demonstrated human rights violations, the student‑led uprising underscores a broader struggle over democratic governance. Analysts suggest ongoing repression may tarnish Serbia's EU accession bid that formally began in 2012 and reaffirm older calls—domestic and international—for electoral reform and institutional accountability.

From JURIST, July 5. Used with permission.