These days in the Republic of Serbia we are witnessing a tightening of police treatment of demonstrators, and the introduction of groups of “beaters” protected by the police, who are terrorizing citizens.
The beatings of unarmed citizens throughout Serbia and the firing of pyrotechnic and other devices at citizens without any warning represent a flagrant violation of both domestic laws and international conventions on the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Of particular concern are the dangerous statements by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić that “the only thing left is for someone to get hurt” and his announcements that in the coming days he will use “everything at our disposal” to restore order.
The Human Rights House Banja Luka strongly condemns such threats that bring additional unrest (fear) among the citizens of Serbia, and calls on the UN and European institutions for the prevention of torture to urgently visit Serbia and establish the factual situation on the spot, and to specifically talk to the detained persons who were beaten, humiliated and threatened with rape, as in the case of student Nikolina Sinđelić.
The Human Rights House Banja Luka also calls on public office holders in the Republic of Srpska to refrain from providing unreserved support to the president of another state whose police and parapolice forces are beating citizens.
Many citizens of the Republic of Srpska do not support the methods chosen by the Serbian regime to deal with protesters, which include continuous demonization through the media and physical attacks on citizens. The Human Rights House considers the behavior and statements of politicians in the Republic of Srpska who, for the sake of their own interests, justify violence and the suppression of critical thought in Serbia to be extremely inappropriate and hypocritical.
