The death of police officer Vasilij Lalović (33), who committed suicide, gave rise to the Minister of Police Ivica Dačić to accuse the "blockaders". He said that Lalovic's act was the result of "brutal false accusations and attacks by blockaders and opposition parties" against him and his family.
"He did not survive. He is survived by three children and a wife. My sincere condolences to the family. And great shame for those who falsely accused him," said Dacic.
The minister has not presented any evidence for what he is saying. He insinuates that there are some "accusations" that Lalović was among policemen who beat citizens in Valjevo in August 2025 actually drove a policeman to his death.
Photo: Tanjug/Sava RadovanovićAccusing without any evidence: Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dačić
Lawyer accuses those who "threatened"
Lalovic's lawyer previously said the same, citing a social media post declaring the policeman's death as justice for what he did.
However, lawyer Nikola R. Jovanović says that Lalović, otherwise a member of the Priboj PU, was not in Valjevo that day at all.
"On August 15, 2025, his last name was first published on social networks, then his full name and surname, then his photo, and the threats and insults he received continued," said the lawyer, who later represented him due to those alleged threats and defamation.
"If any of the citizens or investigative journalists wanted the truth, they could have checked and established that. But no, it was obviously easier to try to put an honest man and a policeman, the one in charge of the safety of all of us, on the pillar of shame," added Jovanović.
Several anonymous accounts on social networks, as well as the Kreni-Promeni movement, published last August the names and pictures of police officers who allegedly participated in police violence in Valjevo. Among them was Lalović.
"We will catch all of you and you will be responsible for every child's blood and every mother's tear," the movement's announcement read.
The procedure is still stalling.
It is not officially known who the masked policemen were who beat people on August 14 last year.
The day before that, in the center of Valjevo, masked attackers demolished a cafe, whose owner supported the students. As a reaction to that, a large protest was organized the day after, when the police reacted unusually brutally.
At the end of May this year, the Public Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime took over the case of brutal police violence. This is what the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office decided, and after it was determined that the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo conducted the proceedings ineffectively.
Real journalism costs money, and we will not be bought by tycoons and corporations. Support us with a one-time or monthly donation. The time for it is now!
