Students detained at Novi Pazar rally say police acted “for their own safety”

“I was walking near the announced rally with several friends when police officers warned us that a high-risk, protected event was taking place ahead,” Delimedjac explained. “They asked for our IDs to verify our identities and determine whether we posed a threat to the rally. Once they checked, they ordered us to move away, even though we were standing outside the secured zone.”

Delimedjac said he questioned the officers, asking what made them a risk to the gathering. Instead of answering, they detained him, citing interference with a public official in the line of duty as the reason.

However, he told N1 that the police changed their explanation once they arrived at the station. “When our lawyer came, they told us we were not really detained, but only removed from the area for our safety,” he said, adding that the group was released without giving any statements or receiving any explanation.

The student believes the police action demonstrated that they were securing a rally whose participants they “could not keep under control.” He insisted that he and his friends never disobeyed police orders.

The incident comes amid ongoing student protests and blockades at the University of Novi Pazar, where students have demanded the resignation of Rector Zana Dolicanin and the introduction of provisional administration.

Delimedjac described the students’ position as “untenable,” noting that communication with the university administration has completely broken down. He added that Rector Dolicanin’s term is ending soon and expressed hope that, under growing public and political pressure, the Ministry of Education will respond positively to student demands for institutional oversight and reform.