Protests erupt following railway station collapse

Freedom of association

In its annual progress report on Serbia, published in October 2024, the European Commission highlighted the challenging environment faced by civil society organisations, noting "Verbal attacks and defamation against some organisations continued, with participation from high-ranking officials. Tabloids also conducted campaigns, including the disclosure of activists' personal information."

The report emphasised that individuals and organisations monitoring the electoral process, environmental issues, protests against lithium mining, and opposition to the glorification of war criminals are particularly targeted. It also expressed concern over the large number of SLAPP lawsuits initiated by state and local officials.

Freedom of peaceful assembly

Protests erupt as citizens demand accountability for railway station collapse

A tragic accident occurred on 1st November in Novi Sad, Serbia's second-largest city and the largest in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. An outdoor canopy at a recently renovated railway station collapsed, killing 14 people, including children. The incident triggered a new wave of protests in which citizens mobilised to demand accountability from the authorities for the collapse, which they blamed on corruption and shoddy renovation work.

On 3rd November, ahead of the first protest in Serbia’s capital Belgrade, Nikola Ristić, an activist from the informal group SviĆe, was detained by plainclothes police officers. Initially, the men refused to disclose where they were taking Ristić and prevented another SviĆe activist from filming the arrest. Under pressure, they revealed he would be taken to a nearby police station. Ristić was released the same day and reported that the officers informed him of an arrest warrant issued by the Special Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime (which handles criminal offences committed over social networks), in which references were made to incitement to the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.

Larger clashes occurred at a 5th November protest in Novi Sad. The gathering began near the railway station, with citizens demanding criminal and personal accountability and the resignation of responsible officials. Protesters then marched to City Hall, where riot police were already stationed.

During the protest, masked individuals used bats to smash the building’s windows and threw firecrackers inside. Opposition representatives claimed these were hooligans and football fans “planted” by authorities to provoke riots. Groups of unidentified men also vandalised other locations in the city. However, the police largely did not intervene against those engaged in violent or disruptive acts, and plainclothes police officers instead arrested peaceful demonstrators, often with the use of excessive force and while refusing to identify themselves as required by law. Several such incidents were captured on video and shared via social media.

After midnight, activist Ivan Bjelić was detained. A group of men approached him, with one identifying himself as a police officer and stating he was placing Bjelić under arrest for allegedly throwing stones and paint at the City Hall building. Bjelić was ordered to be held for 48 hours.

Miran Pogačar, a member of the “Bravo” movement, was detained when he attempted to approach the ruling Serbian Progressive Party’s (SNS) headquarters, where President Aleksandar Vučić was addressing supporters. Pogačar was released after questioning.

Miša Bačulov, the opposition mayoral candidate for Novi Sad in the June local elections, was ordered to be detained for 48 hours for allegedly releasing sewage from a cistern in front of City Hall, supposedly endangering public health. Bačulov and his lawyer claimed that the cistern contained tap water from Zrenjanin, a town in Vojvodina where the tap water has not been safe to drink since 2004. Criminal charges for “causing general danger” are expected to be filed against him.

Former Vojvodina Vice President Goran Ješić was also detained after intervening when two men, who later turned out to be plainclothes police, dragged a young man in an unknown direction without identifying themselves. Ješić's lawyer stated criminal charges for assaulting an official would be filed against him.

Assistant Police Director Colonel Dragan Vasiljević reported that 12 individuals were identified as allegedly causing disturbances during the protest, with eight detained.

According to information obtained by the organisation Civic Initiatives, police continued to detain protest participants the next morning, including Branislav Đorđević, a member of the informal group Stav, although the reasons for his detention remain unclear.

Journalists faced attacks during the protest, which the police did not intervene to prevent. (see more below in the “Freedom of expression” section)

Protesters Intimidated and Detained in Connection with Other Protests

On 25th October, one day before an environmental protest in Šabac, the police announced that officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs would photograph and film the protest site. A similar practice had taken place during a previous protest in Loznica. These actions enable the authorities to identify protest participants and potentially prosecute them.

On 3rd November, the City Secretariat for Traffic announced plans to file criminal charges against protesters on the Old Sava Bridge. The protesters had removed traffic signs installed for the bridge’s planned demolition, allegedly endangering road users. However, protesters argue that their actions reflect frustration with the authorities’ exclusion of professional opinions and public consultation in city planning, which prioritises private investors' interests over residents' needs.

Ahead of a teachers’ strike on 1st November, the Ministry of Education instructed school principals to report the number of employees participating. Teachers’ unions have been protesting since September, expressing dissatisfaction with the working conditions of education sector employees. Similar directives preceded two earlier protests this year, with reports of teachers facing threats of dismissal and salary cuts. Additionally, allegations emerged that members of the Security and Information Agency (BIA) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) pressured transport companies in Niš and Kragujevac not to transport education sector employees to Belgrade for the protests.

On 4th November, police detained two participants in a blockade at the Duboko landfill in Užice for questioning, accusing them of disturbing public order. Among those detained was 75-year-old Radenko Grujičić, who was held for 48 hours on charges of physically assaulting SNS regional coordinator Marija Preković and acting director of PUK Duboko, Tanja Knežević. Eyewitnesses, however, claim the officials attacked Grujičić. After falling ill during detention, he was taken to the General Hospital in Užice but was returned to custody following a medical evaluation. The second detainee, Ivan Aleksić, was released after questioning.

The protesters had gathered to oppose the disposal of new waste at the landfill, arguing it lacked proper permits and citing a fire in May that burned for 20 days. Meanwhile, employees of a public company, led by the city administration, staged a counter-protest. The police separated the groups but did not detain any counter-protesters. At one point, an excavator bucket was raised to intimidate the assembled citizens, coinciding with the arrival of government representatives.

Freedom of expression

Mayor of Belgrade uses press conference to discredit journalists

At a press conference on 24th October, the Mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, used his platform to target and discredit the television station and portal N1. When N1 journalist Mladen Sovilj asked the mayor to comment on the relations within the ruling coalition between the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Šapić shifted the focus of the conference to analysing Sovilj’s work by showing a presentation on a smartboard with a statistical analysis of the journalist’s previous coverage of the mayor’s press conferences as well as video clips. He also used harsh and insulting language, telling the journalist “The only thing that matters to me is that the public knows what kind of swindler you are.” Some journalists, unwilling to listen to Šapić’s remarks, left the press conference in protest.

The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) strongly condemned Šapić's comments in a statement issued on 25th October. “Instead of answering journalists’ questions at press conferences, he resorts to insults and targeting, which is highly inappropriate and could jeopardise the safety of journalists working for N1 television,” NUNS stated. The organisation expressed solidarity with the journalist and called for the mayor's resignation.

Court dismisses lawsuit by ruling party official against investigative portal

On 23rd October, it was reported that the Higher Court in Belgrade had dismissed one of the lawsuits filed by Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) official and director at public infrastructure company Corridors of Serbia, Aleksandar Senić, against the portal Pištaljka. It is worth noting that Senić has filed four lawsuits against Pištaljka, which is an outlet specialising in investigating corruption. These lawsuits relate to articles about the official’s property and companies formally registered under his minor children’s names.

In its ruling, the court stated that Pištaljka had published truthful information that did not infringe on anyone's rights. In addition to the aforementioned lawsuit, Senić filed three other lawsuits against Pištaljka, one of which he won and another of which he lost; the proceedings for the remaining lawsuit are still ongoing.

Cyber attack on Novi Sad news portal 021.rs

On 31st October 2024, the Novi Sad news portal 021.rs experienced a severe cyber attack that disrupted access and interfered with the publication of news for over two days. In a statement, the portal reported that the attack began at around 6 PM and originated from suspicious IP addresses, primarily through the TOR network or data centres in countries such as the Netherlands and Germany. To mitigate the issue, access to the site was temporarily restricted to the territory of the former Yugoslavia while the attack was addressed.

Attacks on journalists during protest in front of ruling party headquarters

As mentioned above, on 5th November 2024, several incidents targeting journalists occurred during a protest in Novi Sad, held outside the Serbian Progressive Party headquarters.

• N1 journalist Žaklina Tatalović and cameraman Nikola Popović were obstructed while covering the protest. An unidentified man insulted Tatalović with sexist remarks and made obscene gestures. Meanwhile, Popović was attacked by another individual who punched him in the hands, causing him to drop and damage his camera.
• A cameraman from Euronews Serbia was also assaulted by a different individual, resulting in both the cameraman and his equipment falling to the ground.
• Another N1 journalist was verbally abused and pushed by an SNS supporter accompanied by SNS deputy Biljana Pantić Pilja.
• Reporters from the portal 021.rs were splashed with red paint and hit with plastic containers

Despite a significant police presence in Novi Sad, including officers in riot gear and plain clothes, no intervention was made during these attacks. The incidents were reported by the SafeJournalists network and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) on 6th November.

Municipal councillor physically attacks journalist

On 6th November 2024, during a Municipal Assembly session in Kovin, Dragan Šljivovački, a Serbian Progressive Party councillor, physically attacked journalist Miloš Ljiljanić of Kovinska Info. The attack occurred after Ljiljanić asked a question to Assembly Speaker Sanja Petrović, who appeared to ignore him. Šljivovački reportedly approached Ljiljanić from behind, struck him with his shoulder, and attempted to snatch the journalist’s phone, twisting his arm in the process. Ljiljanić reported the incident to the police. The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) has called for the Prosecutor’s Office to launch proceedings against Šljivovački and impose appropriate sanctions.