While they are Nikolina Sinđelić and Stevan Zdravković, students and members of the opposition National Movement of Serbia, on the afternoon of Friday, August 15, spoke in front of the media about what they had experienced the previous night in the garage of the Government of Serbia and identified the commander of the Unit for the Security of Certain Persons and Objects (JZO) of the MUP of Serbia Mark Kricka and his associates as abusers, in the First Basic Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, four men gave statements, it is written BIRN.
At that moment, they did not know the names of the police officers who harassed them, but they described almost identically the garage in the Government of Serbia and what happened to them, as well as the appearance of the members of the JZO.
"He had a short shaven beard. His mouth was foaming from anger... The commander of that unit started to approach one of us one by one and began to kick us several times, in the stomach, legs, in the head with the sole of his shoe and then spitting in the face," said one of those detained in front of the prosecutor, as reported by BIRN.
The others spoke similarly, and one of them described in detail the destruction of the phones that were taken from them without a court order.
"All the phones he took from people, he lined them up against the wall, and one by one he stomped on them with his foot and hit them with a baton."
They were interrogated individually before the prosecutor. The police officers accused them of preventing an official from performing his official duties, as well as of assaulting an official at the anti-government protests the previous evening.
At least 15 arrested were taken to the garage
According to BIRN research, during the protests held in Belgrade on August 14, members of the JZO led by commander Marko Krička arrested and dragged at least fifteen people to the garage in the Government of the Republic of Serbia building.
The statements of four men before the prosecution and the statements of five other people interviewed by BIRN show that almost all of them experienced similar violence. Among them are demonstrators, but also citizens who were quite far from the Government building, and some of them did not even participate in the protests.
They were then taken away from the garage of the Government of Serbia at different intervals, in three groups and distributed to police stations: Voždovac, Novi Beograd, Stari Grad.
"The behavior of law enforcement officers during the arrest and detention of demonstrators and bystanders in the garage of the Government building, on August 14, 2025, represents a serious violation of international legal frameworks. Multiple slapping and kicking of detainees, spitting on them, verbal humiliation and threats of violence, sexual violence and death, constitute cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment - which is prohibited by international law. Also, the treatment of detainees raises concerns about torture," John Stauffer, legal director and deputy executive director of Stockholm-based international organization Civil Rights Defenders, told BIRN.
Amnesty International told BIRN that they are deeply concerned by reports that student protesters were forcibly arrested in Belgrade, taken to a "garage" and subjected to unnecessary and excessive use of force - including slaps, kicks and threats of further violence, including rape.
"According to the testimonies, these abuses took place during the initial period of detention and before any formal police interrogation. Such informal questioning without the presence of a legal representative increases the risk of torture or other ill-treatment and the denial of procedural guarantees that would normally apply," says Jelena Sesar, Amnesty International's Balkan researcher.
She adds that persons in police custody must be treated with dignity and in accordance with the law.
"Any form of torture or other ill-treatment - including psychological torture or ill-treatment, threats of torture or ill-treatment, humiliating and belittling acts - is absolutely prohibited. Serbian authorities must fully investigate these allegations and hold accountable all officials found to have acted illegally," Sesar said.
Read the full text on the website of BIRN.
