Serbian police detain 79 people in crackdown on protests

Serbian police arrested 79 protesters late on Wednesday during a crackdown on street demonstrations calling for early elections and the end of President Aleksandar Vucic's 12-year rule and his Serbian Progressive Party.

Clashes occurred between police and protesters in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Novi Pazar, according to the interior ministry's statement on Thursday.

Months of protests across Serbia, including university closures, have unsettled Vucic, a former ultranationalist who shifted his focus to European Union membership in 2008. His second term is set to end in 2027, coinciding with the scheduled parliamentary elections.

The protests intensified on Sunday with road blockages in Belgrade and other cities following the arrest of activists during a large opposition rally. On Wednesday evening, police removed students gathered outside the Law Faculty in Belgrade, briefly detaining dozens, with four students reported injured and hospitalized, according to N1 TV.

Bozo Prelevic, a former interior minister, condemned the police action, calling it a violation of human rights and university freedoms. The U.N. human rights office stated it was closely monitoring the situation following reports of violence, harassment, and arbitrary detentions, urging restraint from authorities.

Vucic's critics accuse him of having connections to organized crime, using violence against opponents, and restricting media freedoms, though he denies the allegations. The protests began in December after a fatal roof collapse at the Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people. Protesters blame corruption for the incident.

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