A court in Belgrade has ordered up to 30 days in pretrial detention for nine current and former employees of Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, including the commander of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit, Igor Zmirić. They are suspected of abusing and torturing students and protesters detained during anti-government protests in August 2025.
According to prosecutors, the suspects used force and threats to inflict pain and suffering on detainees in the garage of the government building in Belgrade, with the aim of intimidating and punishing them. The court ordered detention due to the risk of influencing witnesses and obstructing criminal proceedings.
Among those arrested is also a former officer of the Facility Protection Unit, while during earlier protests several demonstrators had accused special forces commanders of excessive use of violence.
Serbia’s Electoral Commission has announced the final results of the October 25 elections, confirming the victory of the student movement. The movement will hold 140 of the 250 seats in the new parliament, while Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party will be represented by 103 deputies. The result paves the way for the formation of a new parliament and government dominated by the student movement.
