Belgrade Center for Human Rights: Police only protected SNS members

The Belgrade Center for Human Rights today condemned the “biased and discriminatory behavior of the police,” which, especially during the recent civil protests across Serbia, “took sides and protected only the safety of members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).”

According to the NGO, the police left citizens protesting against the current government unprotected and severely physically abused many of them, the statement said.

“We recall that during a non-violent protest that took place in the evening hours of August 12, 2025, in Vrbas, citizens protesting against the regime were attacked by SNS activists with pyrotechnics, frozen bottles, and bricks, while members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) stood by and did nothing,” the statement said. were attacked by SNS activists with pyrotechnics, frozen bottles, and bricks, while members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) remained passive and neglected their duty to protect the safety, lives, and physical integrity of the attacked citizens,” the statement added.

According to the Belgrade Center for Human Rights, the failure of the police to protect the safety of the attacked citizens in that situation has all the characteristics of a criminal offense under Article 344.a, paragraph 5 of the Criminal Code, which is why the organization filed a criminal complaint against several unknown police officers with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Vrbas.

During last night’s civil protests, which took place in several cities across Serbia, the police once again acted in a biased manner, protecting only the safety of SNS members, while “its members abused a large number of citizens who were demonstrating against the government.”

“Several photos and videos posted on social media have documented the police’s brutal treatment of citizens… Selectivity and bias in police conduct have been evident for some time. Let us remember that police officers are guarding and securing the area around Pionirski Park and part of Nikola Pašić Square in front of the parliament building, which is blocked off with fences and tape, under the pretext that this is a public gathering that was registered in accordance with the law,” they added.

They emphasized that it is the duty of the police, regardless of the political, party, or other affiliations of the participants in public gatherings, to provide equal protection to all, prevent violence, prosecute those responsible for violent acts, and refrain from any illegal and unjustified use of force against citizens.

“On the contrary, the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in particular the police director, sided with the Serbian Progressive Party and, in its statements, blamed citizens protesting against the authorities as the only ones responsible for the violence on the streets,” the statement reads.

/n1info.rs