Belgrade Bar Association: Police used brutal force against law students

The association issued a statement saying that some students sustained serious injuries and emphasized that “such an intervention also severely undermined the autonomy of the university.”

“Without intending to assess the validity of the student demands — and we have supported their call for institutions to operate in accordance with the law and the Constitution — we demand that authorities cease all use of force against students and citizens who are peacefully exercising their right to assemble,” AKB said.

The Bar Association also called on the prosecutor’s office to take “lawful measures against those responsible for this and similar instances of force, and to initiate proceedings,” asserting that “there are elements of criminal acts involved.”

It further noted that “during the intervention, force was also used against lawyers who were present and attempting to provide legal assistance to students who had been detained,” and that “lawyers were also subjected to threats and humiliation by police,” which has “damaged the reputation of lawyers and the legal profession as a whole.”

The Bar Association emphasized that “by doing so, lawyers are prevented from fulfilling their constitutional obligation to protect human rights.”

AKB urged lawyers willing to provide free legal aid to students who have been detained to contact it.