Serbien

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has taken aim at the government of longtime Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, citing what it calls “serious setbacks” in democracy and the rule of law, as well as Belgrade’s ties with US adversaries Iran, Russia, and China.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s surprise announcement that he could resign within weeks has generated remarkably little political reaction, with neither the government nor the opposition showing signs of preparing for an early presidential election.

The UN human rights chief warned on Thursday that Serbia is facing a steady erosion of civic space, with mounting evidence that pressure on journalists, civil society, and political dissent is becoming more systematic.

Attacks against journalists and independent media outlets in Serbia have spiralled in the past year, UN experts* warned today, calling on the Government to end impunity for perpetrators of these crimes.

A day after a huge commemorative rally in Novi Sad, clashes between ruling party supporters and protesters erupted in front of parliament, resulting in 37 arrests.

Condemning polarisation and state repression in Serbia, MEPs demand an open investigation of the Novi Sad tragedy and a EU fact-finding mission to assess the situation.

On her visit to Belgrade, the European Commission's president told the leader of EU hopeful Serbia that the bloc requires progress on rule-of-law reforms and media freedom.

The delivery of a shipment of “thousands” of military drones to Kosovo triggered a harsh reaction from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic against the supplier, Turkey, which he accused of harbouring imperial ambitions in the Balkans.

Serbian prosecutors filed an updated indictment on Tuesday against 13 people, including a former minister, over a fatal railway station roof collapse that has triggered a wave of anti-government protests. The prosecution said all those indicted, among them former Construction Minister Goran Vesić, face charges of “serious crimes against public safety” over the tragedy that killed 16 people last November.

Thousands of protesters led by students marched in Belgrade on September 8 demanding Serbian authorities punish police officers for acts of violence against demonstrators during recent anti-government protests.