Serbien

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. 

The offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have been set on fire during a fifth night of unrest in a row that saw fresh clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police.

For a fifth night in a row, protests in Serbia were marked by clashes between demonstrators and police – with each side accusing the other of provoking conflict. Numerous members of the public, police officers and soldiers were injured on Wednesday night during another night of protests in Belgrade, Novi Sad and other cities.

[…] In a statement, they called on the Serbian government to ensure the safety and rights of students, educators, human rights defenders, civil society actors and citizens, and to engage in meaningful dialogue with academic institutions.

A Serbian military special operations brigade has completed joint training with a Chinese brigade in China despite strong objections from the European Union and the United States. … In recent years, Serbia has expanded its military cooperation with China, including the purchase of Chinese weaponry such as the FK-3 air defense system.

A court ordered the release pending trial of eight students accused of plotting to ‘overthrow the state’, but new roadblocks set up by protesters and a contested local election kept tensions at boiling point.