Europe
The opposition group Serbia Against Violence protested against elections that international human rights organizations described as irregular
Associated Press
Monday, December 25, 2023, 7:59 p.m. GMT
Serbian police have arrested at least 38 people who took part in a protest earlier this month against an election that international observers said was unfair.
The opposition group Serbia Against Violence has been staging protests since the December 17 election, claiming voter fraud occurred, particularly in the capital, Belgrade. The ruling populists were declared winners of the parliamentary and local elections.
Some opposition politicians responded with a hunger strike.
On Sunday evening, demonstrators tried to break into Belgrade City Hall by breaking windows before riot police pushed them back with tear gas, pepper spray and batons.
There were further protests on Monday evening. Hundreds gathered outside the headquarters of the National Election Commission in central Belgrade before heading to the city's police headquarters, where the detained opposition supporters are believed to be being held.
Serbia Against Violence officials said they would not recognize the election results and instead called for the vote to be canceled and re-held as part of a free and fair election. The alliance last week called on the EU to investigate the results after international observers said the vote had taken place under “unfair conditions”.
US Ambassador Christopher Hill, criticized by the opposition for his alleged pro-government comments, on Monday denounced “violence and vandalism” during Sunday's protests. On
Senior police officer Ivica Ivkovic told reporters that those arrested face charges of inciting violent changes to the constitutional order – with a view to attempting to overthrow the government – and violent behavior. Eight officers were injured, some seriously, he added.
The opposition said police used excessive force and beat some of their supporters.
Also on Monday, several hundred university students and other citizens blocked traffic on a key Belgrade street where the government headquarters is located, defying a police warning about blockades in the capital. No incidents were reported as some students played volleyball and soccer on a sunny day.
The police are “ready and able to resolutely confront all acts of violence,” said Ivkovic.
The Serbian Progressive Party, which won the election, denied rigging the vote and insisted the ballots were fair despite criticism from international observers and local election observers.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić described Sunday's protests as an attempt to overthrow the government with help from abroad, without specifying what he meant. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić thanked Russia late Sunday for alerting Serbia ahead of violent protests against the results.
Vučić has “irrefutable evidence” that the West is encouraging the opposition's protests, Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko told Russian media after a meeting with Vučić on Monday.
Representatives of several international human rights organizations monitoring the elections reported several irregularities during the voting, including cases of purchased votes and ballot box stuffing. They also pointed to unfair conditions for opposition candidates due to media bias, misuse of public resources by the ruling party, and Vučić dominating the ruling party's election campaign and media time allocated to candidates despite not participating in the elections himself.