Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has expressed support for a proposal by ruling SNS party leader Miloš Vučević to block a court in Novi Sad in protest of the arrest of four party members accused of assaulting student activists.
“Police, judges, no one will get through until those men are released,” Vučić said in an interview with Informer TV, criticizing the court’s decision as “shameful” and part of a so-called “color revolution.”
The Appellate Court in Novi Sad recently overturned custody for three activists, while the cases of the others are being reexamined. The arrests follow weeks of student-led protests demanding the release of six detained activists, considered by many to be political prisoners.
The four SNS members were detained in January for physically attacking students posting anti-government flyers. One student suffered a dislocated jaw during the assault.
Vučić labeled the students “terrorists” and praised the SNS members as “heroes,” later posting on Instagram:
“Freedom to heroes. Jail for terrorist blockaders.”
Critics responded by highlighting the violent nature of the attack and denouncing the president’s support for those involved. The incident has added fuel to ongoing protests over state negligence, which intensified after the collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, killing 16 people.
