The forensic analysis of professor Đorđe Alempijević showed that during the protest in Valjeva, in the night between August 14 and 15 last year, several citizens suffered serious injuries due to police brutality.
As stated BIRN Serbia, one man had at least 28 blows with a baton on his body, while among the injured were minors, a taxi driver, people found in bars and people who did not participate in the protest.
Minister of Interior Affairs Ivica Dacic said on the occasion of the events in Valjevo that "police she does not attack anyone...if she is attacked, she defends herself". However, the analysis of the event shows that the police did not use force as a necessary "self-defense".
Alempijević states that the patterns of injuries show that force was not only used to subdue citizens, but had a "punitive character". According to the statements of the victims, some detainees were beaten even after they fell to the ground or were under the control of the police.
The report states that people were beaten on the street, while being transported in ambulances, but also in the premises of the Valjevo Police Department, where, according to the victims, they suffered threats, insults and humiliation.
Serious injuries were also documented, including broken nasal bones, head and kidney injuries, as well as traces of kicking and stomping on the head while the detainees were lying on the ground.
Testimonies
The case of a minor who, according to the report, raised his hands and said he was not guilty, after which he was knocked down and beaten by several policemen, is particularly striking.
In some statements, it is stated that those detained were passed through the "screen" of the policemen, where people were forced to bark and where they were asked questions."Who are the dogs now?". The police officers also insulted them, photographed them and forced them to sign documents.
According to the report, the violence did not stop even after control over the detainees was established, which raises serious questions about the excess of police authority and the treatment of citizens.
In one case, there is an explicit allegation that the person sought medical help at the station, but that it was not possible, as well as that the left hand was extremely swollen due to the tight handcuffs worn for about five and a half hours.
Epilogue
Criminal charges were filed with the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo in October last year against 28 policemen on suspicion of having committed the crime of abuse and torture on August 14.
Eight months after the filing of the criminal complaint, the investigation into the actions of the police has not yet received a concrete epilogue, despite numerous statements from the victims and medical documentation.
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