Activist Mila Pajic Detained During Novi Sad Protests, Calls for Accountability

The Varadin Bridge was blocked for six hours last night in protest, with police detaining Miran Pogacar of the Bravo civic movement, as well as Pajic and Antic, though they were released a few hours later. In a related development, former Provincial Government Vice President Goran Jesic turned himself in to the police and was given a 30-day detention, while city councillor Misa Baculov was also detained and taken to jail around midnight.

According to Pajic, unidentified men dressed in black apprehended her, refusing to display identification when asked. "I declined to go with these unknown men in an unknown direction, so they lifted me, put me in a car, placed Doroteja in another, and took us—either to BIA or the police headquarters," Pajic explained on N1. She noted that her attorneys searched for them that night, and both the BIA and Novi Sad police denied they were holding her and Antic.

Meanwhile, during the bridge protest, supporters claimed that the activists had been "kidnapped."

"The inspectors were interested in the protest,” Pajic added. “They took us in for questioning, wanting us to identify the organizers, even though it's all public information. Their aim was to keep us detained for four hours, hoping that with so many people in detention, the protest would be stopped." Despite these efforts, the protest went forward.

“Our protest happened despite everything,” Pajic emphasized. “And that's crucial because they can’t arrest all of us.”

Pajic asserted that the detentions were an attempt to divert attention from the protests and intimidate those calling for justice. "They’re trying to detain as many people as possible—ordinary citizens who said ‘NO.’ They want us to focus on our arrests, but we need to keep our eyes on why we are protesting. Fourteen people were killed, and no one has been held accountable."

Pajic vowed that protests would continue until those responsible face consequences. “We’re going to Belgrade on Monday, and then we’ll return to Novi Sad, showing our persistence through various actions,” she concluded.