Student Detained on Charges of Violent Constitutional Change; Protests Erupt
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Lazar Mišić, a student at the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Agriculture, was detained at Nikola Tesla Airport and is suspected of violently changing the constitutional order.
- Mišić is scheduled to appear before a prosecutor, while students have announced a blockade of Aviatičarski Trg in Zemun to protest his arrest.
- Mišić's legal team claims his detention is without legal basis, and students vow to continue their blockade until his release.
The detention of Lazar Mišić, a student at the University of Belgrade's Faculty of Agriculture, has sparked immediate protests and a blockade of Aviatičarski Trg in Zemun. Students, citizens, and members of choirs gathered to express their solidarity with Mišić, who is accused of attempting to violently alter the constitutional order. The protest, initially planned for March, was apparently disrupted by his arrest at Nikola Tesla Airport.
According to the Tomanović law office, Mišić's arrest lacks a valid legal foundation, with the office stating that the reasons provided are "legally and factually simulated." They are demanding his immediate release pending their appeal.
State broadcaster RTS reported that Mišić's alleged plan involved blocking highways and the TENT power plant in Obrenovac to disrupt coal delivery and electricity supply to Serbian citizens. This framing by state media contrasts sharply with the student and legal team's assertion of an unlawful detention.
The situation highlights the ongoing tensions and differing narratives surrounding political activism and state response in Serbia. While authorities suggest a threat to public order and infrastructure, activists and their legal representatives argue for fundamental rights and due process. The student blockade signifies a direct challenge to the authorities and a demand for Mišić's freedom, underscoring the deep divisions within Serbian society regarding political expression and state power.
Lazar Mišić je lišen slobode bez valjanog pravnog osnova, uz pravno i činjenicno simulovane razloge i zato mora biti pušten na slobodu odmah nakon razmatranja naše žalbe
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.