Serbian president vows no pardons to arrested Belgrade student protesters

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić addressed the nation after mass protests erupted in central Belgrade on June 28, declaring that "attempts to destabilise the country through violence would not succeed."

Vučić stated that Serbia had “won” because, in his view, it could not be defeated by "violent means." He emphasised that none of those detained during the protests would receive a pardon and claimed that some participants had actively called for civil conflict and attacks on police forces, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He noted that investigations were ongoing to identify and arrest everyone involved in the unrest, adding that authorities would continue to act strictly within the bounds of the law.

More than 70 people were arrested after clashes broke out between protesters and police following a student-led demonstration calling for snap elections. The rally, which drew tens of thousands to Belgrade’s Slavija Square on the evening of June 28, was the latest in a wave of student-led protests and university building occupations that have swept Serbia since November.

The movement initially began in response to the Novi Sad railway station disaster and has since grown to include broader political demands. Protesters have been calling for early elections and the removal of a pro-government tent camp set up near the National Assembly in central Belgrade.

By Sabina Mammadli