Student detained in Belgrade, lawyer says he is accused of calling for violent overthrow of constitutional order

A student from the Faculty of Physics, Stefan Tomic, was detained on Tuesday afternoon by two unidentified men claiming to be plainclothes police officers during an academic community’s protest blockade of the intersection outside the Serbian Government headquarters in central Belgrade.

Oglas

According to fellow students, Tomic and a female colleague from the Faculty of Philology, who were serving as marshals during the blockade outside the Serbian Government building, were approached around 5 pm Tuesday. The men, who did not show their IDs, questioned the students about their personal details and activities. The female student was released, but Tomic was forcibly taken away in an unmarked car. His whereabouts were unknown for several hours, prompting students, citizens, and Tomic’s family to gather outside the New Belgrade police station, demanding information.

In the evening hours, Tomic’s lawyer Ljiljana Borovic confirmed he was being held at the Department for Combating Terrorism at the Palace of Serbia. Protesters relocated there to continue their demonstration.

As of Wednesday morning, Tomic was reportedly transferred to an undisclosed location, with authorities stating he would be detained for up to 48 hours and face questioning on terrorism-related charges.

Lawyer Borovic said Wednesday that Tomic is being charged under Article 309 of the Criminal Code - specifically, that he allegedly used social media to call for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.

She told N1 that she met with Stefan and that, in her opinion, he is holding up well. According to her, Stefan emphasized that he respects the principles of non-violent protest and supports calling snap parliamentary elections.

She noted that Stefan Tomic is an excellent student and was once an exemplary high school pupil who competed in national physics competitions. She added that he doesn’t fit the profile of aggressive, violent people.

Students and supporters condemned the detention as a violation of Tomic’s rights.

Student Nikola Loncarevic from BAPUSS Academy described the event also as an attempt to intimidate protesters.

“We have endured seven months of various violations of rights and laws by the ruling party. This was expected – what is happening now, the pressure they are applying to intimidate us. We still stand by our position. On the 28th, we are all taking to the streets, we are all going to Slavija Square. They won’t stop our actions,” said Loncarevic.

Student protesters have sent an open letter to the Serbian Government demanding the fulfillment of two demands.

“If they are not met, we will continue. The protest won’t end at 9 pm – we will keep going, it will carry over to the next day. We won’t give up until these demands are fulfilled,” he said.

Student protesters have announced a mass protest in Belgrade on June 28, St. Vitus Day.

Teme