Serbia Watchlist 2025 - Civicus Monitor

PRESS RELEASE

Serbia Stays on Rights Watchlist as Authorities Seek to Crush Student-led Protest Movement

Widespread civil disobedience met with brutality and detentions
State providing support and legal protection to violent goons
Alarming uptick in surveillance and intimidation of activists

Johannesburg, 30 July 2025 – The CIVICUS Monitor has once again placed Serbia on its Watchlist of countries experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms. The decision follows intensifying repression in response to nationwide student-led protests against government corruption, which have rocked the country since November 2024 following the deadly collapse of a railway station.

Serbia’s continued inclusion on the Watchlist reflects deepening threats to the rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and association, as authorities deploy violence, surveillance, and politically motivated prosecutions to silence dissent. CIVICUS Monitor currently rates Serbia as “obstructed”, indicating that while civil society operates, it faces serious legal and practical barriers. Serbia joins Kenya, El Salvador, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United States of America on the latest Watchlist.

“While protesters persist in their demands for accountability and systemic change, authorities are seeking to repress the movement with renewed force by unleashing a wave of state sponsored violence,” said Ine Van Severen, Civic Space Research Lead. “The Serbian government is actively punishing people who make public demands of their leaders.”

Mass Protests Met with Violence and Intimidation

To crush the student-led protests, Serbian authorities have unleashed violence from police and ruling party-linked groups, while also carrying out mass detentions, surveillance, and intimidation.

Police have repeatedly tear gassed and beat protesters, constituting excessive force, with over 400 detentions recorded in the first week of July alone. Credible reports detail serious injuries and ill-treatment in detention.

On 28 June, police violently dispersed crowds following a major protest, detaining 77 people, some of whom were denied medical assistance. In response, protesters launched acts of civil disobedience, erecting barricades and staging spontaneous demonstrations nationwide.

In March, government-organised counter-protesters established encampments around key institutions in Belgrade, backed by municipal authorities and protected by police. These camps have become flashpoints for violence, with frequent clashes and attacks on journalists.

Protesters further accuse police of unlawfully deploying a sonic weapon during a 15 March protest, attended by approximately 300,000 people. During a silent vigil, a loud, disorienting noise triggered panic and a stampede. Civil society organisations have demanded an investigation, supported by six UN special rapporteurs and an interim measure from the European Court of Human Rights.

Police initially denied involvement but later admitted that Long Range Acoustic Devices were present, while continuing to deny activation.

Senior officials have encouraged and sought to legitimise violence against protesters. In July, President Aleksandar Vučić pardoned four men linked to his party who severely beat a female student in Novi Sad—an attack that prompted the Prime Minister’s resignation in January. President Vučić also announced plans to pardon a woman charged with attempted murder for driving into a group of protesters, stating that more pardons would follow.

Officials have pressured prosecutors and judges too, accusing them of favouring protesters and undermining judicial independence. Further, state agents have intensified surveillance and criminalisation of activists ahead of major demonstrations. In March, security services illegally recorded a private meeting of opposition and civil society figures which was then broadcast on pro-government media. Police then arrested six participants of the meeting and charged them with attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, with prosecutors seeking the maximum sentence of five years, before being transferred to house arrest. Six others, now abroad, face trial in absentia.

Before a 28 June protest, more wiretapped conversations aired and authorities arrested eight student activists outside university buildings. Though a court rejected pre-trial detention, prosecutors are appealing the decision.

“The behaviour of security forces is deeply alarming. They’re protecting those who assault protesters, using violence themselves, and carrying out surveillance on activists without any legal basis or oversight,” said Uroš Jovanović, Public Policy Programme Manager at Civic Initiatives. “Violating the rights to peaceful assembly and expression does not serve the public. It only serves the interests of those who want to maintain power.”

Intimidation and Retaliation

Many protest supporters have also faced smear campaigns, job dismissals, and threats. Foreign citizens have been expelled or threatened with deportation for expressing support for protesters, while transport services have been suspended without explanation ahead of major rallies. In one case, severe police harassment of a private bus operator who had transported protesters, including fines, sabotage, threats, and the violent detention of his son, drove the operator to attempt self-immolation outside the ruling party office.

“We are watching Serbia’s civic freedoms being dismantled in real time,” said Simona Mladenovska, Policy and Advocacy Officer at the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN). “Again, we are raising the alarm and urge the international community - especially the EU - to back words with action. We welcome the growing awareness, but the response must match the scale of repression.”

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

On Serbia’s civic space rating of Obstructed:

This rating is typically given to countries where civic space is heavily contested by power holders, who impose a combination of legal and practical constraints on the full enjoyment of fundamental rights (see full description of ratings). See Frequently Asked Questions about the Watchlist here.

There are a total of 35 countries in the world with this rating (see all).

About the CIVICUS Monitor::

The new watchlist is released by the CIVICUS Monitor, an online platform that tracks the latest developments to civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, across 198 countries and territories.

The ratings are categorised as either ‘closed,’ ‘repressed,’ ‘obstructed,’ ‘narrowed’ or ‘open,’ based on a methodology that combines several data sources related to civic freedoms.

Over twenty organisations collaborate to provide an evidence base for action to improve civic space on all continents.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: media@civicus.org

FAQs

Saopštenje za medije

Srbija ostaje na CIVICUS Monitor listi za praćenje dok vlasti pokušavaju da slome studentske proteste

Širom zemlje se na građansku neposlušnost odgovara brutalnošću i hapšenjima
Država pruža podršku i pravnu zaštitu batinašima
Zabrinjavajući porast prisluškivanja i zastrašivanja aktivista

Johanesburg, 30. jul 2025 – CIVICUS Monitor je ponovo stavio Srbiju na svoju listu za praćenje zemalja u kojima dolazi do naglog pogoršanja građanskih sloboda. Ova odluka usledila je nakon pojačane represije prema masovnim studentskim protestima protiv korupcije u vlasti, koji potresaju zemlju od novembra 2024. godine, nakon smrtonosnog urušavanja nadstrešnice železničke stanice.

Kontinuirano prisustvo Srbije na listi za praćenje odražava sve ozbiljnije pretnje pravima na mirno okupljanje, slobodu izražavanja i udruživanja, jer vlasti koriste nasilje, nadzor i politički motivisana gonjenja kako bi ugušile kritičke glasove. CIVICUS Monitor trenutno ocenjuje Srbiju kao zemlju „sa opstruiranim građanskim prostorom“, što znači da civilno društvo funkcioniše, ali se suočava sa ozbiljnim pravnim i praktičnim preprekama. Uz Srbiju, na najnovijoj listi za praćenje nalaze se i Kenija, El Salvador, Indonezija, Turska i Sjedinjene Američke Države.

„Dok demonstranti istrajavaju u svojim zahtevima za odgovornošću i sistemskim promenama, vlasti pokušavaju da uguše pokret novim naletom državnog nasilja,“ izjavila je Ine Van Severen, rukovoditeljka programa istraživanja građanskog prostora u CIVICUS-u, „Vlasti Srbije aktivno kažnjavaju građane koji javno postavljaju zahteve svojim liderima.“

Masovni protesti dočekani nasiljem i zastrašivanjem

Da bi ugušile studentske proteste, srpske vlasti su pokrenule talas nasilja policije i grupa povezanih s vladajućom strankom, uz masovna hapšenja, nadzor i zastrašivanje.

Policija je više puta bacala suzavac i tukla demonstrante, što predstavlja prekomernu upotrebu sile. Samo u prvoj nedelji jula zabeleženo je više od 400 hapšenja. Pouzdani izveštaji ukazuju na slučajeve teških povreda i zlostavljanja prilikom lišenja slobode.

Nakon velikog protesta 28. juna, policija je nasilno rasterala masu i uhapsila 77 osoba, od kojih nekima nije pružena medicinska pomoć. Kao odgovor, demonstranti su započeli akcije građanske neposlušnosti, uz postavljanje barikade i spontane proteste širom zemlje.

U martu su provladini kontrademonstranti, uz podršku gradskih vlasti i zaštitu policije, podigli kampove oko ključnih institucija u Beogradu. Ovi kampovi su postali žarišta nasilja, sa čestim sukobima i napadima na novinare.

Demonstranti dodatno optužuju policiju da je nezakonito upotrebila zvučno oružje tokom protesta 15. marta, kojem je prisustvovalo oko 300.000 ljudi. Ćutanje u znak odavanja pošte žrtvama je prekinuo jak, dezorijentišući zvuk koji je izazvao paniku i stampedo. Organizacije civilnog društva su zatražile istragu, što je podržano zahtevima šest specijalnih izvestilaca UN i privremena mera Evropskog suda za ljudska prava.

Policija je najpre negirala umešanost, a potom priznala prisustvo specijalizovanog akustičnog sredstva za razbijanje demonstracija (Long Range Acoustic Device, LRAD), iako je nastavila da poriče njihovu upotrebu.

Visoki državni zvaničnici su podržavali i pokušavali da opravdaju nasilje nad demonstrantima. U julu je predsednik Aleksandar Vučić pomilovao četvoricu muškaraca povezanih s njegovom strankom, koji su brutalno pretukli studentkinju u Novom Sadu—napad koji je doveo do ostavke premijera u januaru. Vučić je najavio i pomilovanje žene optužene za pokušaj ubistva, jer je kolima uletela među grupu demonstranata, navodeći da će uslediti još pomilovanja.

Zvaničnici su takođe vršili pritisak na tužioce i sudije, optužujući ih za blagonaklonost prema demonstrantima i narušavanje nezavisnosti pravosuđa. Uoči većih protesta, državne službe su pojačale nadzor i kriminalizaciju aktivista. U martu su bez naloga snimile privatni sastanak predstavnika opozicije i civilnog društva, a zatim su snimci objavljeni u provladinim medijima. Policija je potom uhapsila šestoro učesnika sastanka i optužila ih za pokušaj rušenja ustavnog poretka, uz zahtev tužilaštva za maksimalnu kaznu od pet godina, pre nego što su prebačeni u kućni pritvor. Još šest osoba, trenutno u inostranstvu, čeka suđenje u odsustvu.

Neposredno pre protesta 28. juna, ponovo su emitovani novi prisluškivani razgovori, a vlasti su uhapsile osmoro studentskih aktivista ispred zgrada univerziteta. Pošto je sud odbio zahtev za pritvor, tužilaštvo je uložilo žalbu.

“Postupanje snaga bezbednosti je duboko alarmantno. Oni štite nasilnike koji napadaju demonstrante, sami upotrebljavaju nasilje i prisluškuju aktiviste bez ikakvog pravnog osnova ili nadzora,” rekao je Uroš Jovanović, menadžer programa javnih politika u Građanskim inicijativama. “Kršenje prava na slobodu okupljanja i izražavanja ne služi javnom interesu, već samo interesima onih koji žele da zadrže vlast.”

Zastrašivanje i odmazda

Mnogi građani koji podržavaju proteste suočili su se s kampanjama blaćenja, otkazima i pretnjama. Strani državljani su proterani ili im je zaprećeno deportacijom zbog izražavanja podrške demonstrantima, dok su prevoznici obustavljali usluge bez ikakvog objašnjenja uoči velikih skupova.

U jednom slučaju, ozbiljno policijsko maltretiranje privatnog prevoznika koji je prevozio demonstrante — uključujući kazne, sabotažu, pretnje i nasilno hapšenje njegovog sina — dovelo je do toga da je pokušao samospaljivanje ispred prostorija vladajuće stranke.

“Svedočimo razgradnji građanskih sloboda u Srbiji u realnom vremenu,” rekla je Simona Mladenovska, iz programa politike i javnog zagovaranja u Balkanskoj mreži za razvoj civilnog društva (BCSDN). „Ponovo dižemo uzbunu i pozivamo međunarodnu zajednicu – posebno EU – da pređe sa reči na dela. Pozdravljamo rastuću svest, ali reakcija mora da odgovara razmeri represije.“

NAPOMENE ZA UREDNIKA

O rejtingu građanskog prostora Srbije „opstruiran“: 

Ova ocena se dodeljuje zemljama u kojima vlasti ozbiljno osporavaju građanski prostor, namećući zakonska i praktična ograničenja na puno uživanje osnovnih prava (kompletan opis ocena dostupan ovde). Ovde možete pogledati Često postavljana pitanja o listi za praćenje.

Ukupno 35 zemalja u svetu ima ovu ocenu (spisak dostupan ovde).

O CIVICUS Monitor listi za praćenje:

Novu listu za praćenje objavio je CIVICUS Monitor, onlajn platforma koja prati najnovija dešavanja u oblasti građanskih sloboda, uključujući slobodu izražavanja, udruživanja i mirnog okupljanja, u 198 zemalja i teritorija.

Građanski prostor u zemljama kategorizuje se u pet nivoa: „zatvoren“, „potisnut“, „opstruiran“, „sužen“ i „otvoren“, na osnovu metodologije koja kombinuje više izvora podataka o slobodi udruživanja, mirnog okupljanja i izražavanja.

Ocena „opstruiran“ označava srednji nivo ograničenja. Opisuje okruženje u kojem vlasti remete rad organizacija civilnog društva, demonstranti su izloženi prekomernoj sili, a nezavisni mediji i uređivačka sloboda su ozbiljno ograničeni.

Preko dvadeset organizacija sarađuje kako bi obezbedile pouzdane dokaze i podstakle akcije za poboljšanje građanskog prostora na svim kontinentima.