Valjevo Protests: 34 Face Charges a Year Later Amid Police Brutality Allegations

A year has passed since the protests in Valjevo, Serbia, on August 14, 2025, which culminated in scenes of police brutality against demonstrators, some of whom were minors. The aftermath saw citizens who were beaten file criminal complaints against 28 police officers. Concurrently, the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo is prosecuting a total of 34 individuals for assaulting officials.

The Valjevo Prosecutor's Office is handling three cases related to the events of August 14, 2025, concerning the criminal offense of attacking an official. According to the prosecutor's office, one case involving a single suspect resulted in an acquittal, a decision the prosecutor has appealed. A second case is proceeding against 32 individuals and is currently in the investigation phase. The third case involves one suspect and is in the pre-investigation stage, with evidence-gathering underway.

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The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo is handling three cases against multiple suspects regarding the events of August 14 last year, for the criminal offense of Attacking an Official.

Notably, the suspect in the third case is Nikola Mirković, a Valjevo lawyer who also represents citizens beaten by the police that night. The case involving police brutality has been transferred from the Valjevo Prosecutor's Office to the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade. Mirković reported receiving a summons in early August of this year, nearly a year after the protest, to appear as a suspect. He views this as continued pressure on lawyers representing victims of police brutality.

The events of August 14-15, 2025, also led to a larger protest in Valjevo on August 16, during which the premises of the Serbian Progressive Party were set ablaze, and municipal government buildings and the prosecutor's office were damaged. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported 15 arrests that night, with criminal charges filed against 13 individuals. The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo stated it is not handling any proceedings related to the August 16 events, as those cases, primarily involving public order offenses, fall under the jurisdiction of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Valjevo.

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This summons is considered a continuation of pressure on lawyers representing victims in the case of police brutality.