The opposition party Serbia Center (SRCE) has announced plans to file a criminal complaint against Marko Kričak, commander of the Serbian Interior Ministry’s Unit for the Protection of Certain Individuals and Facilities. The complaint accuses Kričak of torture, mistreatment, and sexual harassment during protests in Belgrade on August 14.
According to SRCE, video evidence and witness testimonies indicate that Kričak and his subordinates beat protesters with telescopic batons and engaged in physical abuse.
One of the protesters, student Nikolina Sinđelić, publicly testified that Kričak threatened to rape her, slapped and beat her, and told her: “I will strip you and rape you in front of everyone, and all will watch.” She claims she was held for three hours in a government building garage, where detained students were tied up, forced to lie on concrete, and kneel against the wall, before being transferred to a police station.
SRCE pointed to Article 137(3) of the Serbian Criminal Code, which prescribes two to ten years in prison for any official found guilty of torture or degrading treatment.
Meanwhile, the opposition Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) has called on the Ombudsman to urgently investigate what it described as “brutal beatings, torture, and threats” directed at Sinđelić and other protesters.
PSG youth leader Jelena Banjac condemned the alleged actions, saying they were proof of the “helplessness and cowardice” of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). She accused the police of abusing power by detaining a student for hours, using violence, and issuing degrading threats.
In her interview with N1 Television, Sinđelić reiterated that she was detained near the Serbian government building, assaulted by Kričak, and threatened with sexual violence.
The Interior Ministry (MUP), however, has denied all allegations, insisting that police officers did not exceed their legal authority during the protest response.
