Serbia arrests suspects accused of planning election-day riots
Police detained a group in Novi Sad and a man in Kraljevo suspected of plotting unrest in Belgrade on election day, Serbian broadcaster RTS reported.
Serbian police were carrying out arrests in Novi Sad on Wednesday of a group suspected of planning riots for election day, public broadcaster RTS reported.
The suspects are accused of planning for around 80 people to travel to Belgrade on 25 October to incite unrest, according to RTS. Police were also searching premises used by the suspects, RTS said.
In a separate operation, ordered by the senior public prosecutor's office in Kraljevo, a man identified only as M.A., from Vrnjačka Banja, was arrested on suspicion of calling for a violent change to the constitutional order and planning to take part in the election-day unrest in Belgrade, RTS reported.
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What we know
- 1 outlet Serbian police were arresting a group in Novi Sad suspected of planning riots for election day, RTS reported.
- 1 outlet The group is accused of planning for around 80 people to travel to Belgrade on 25 October to cause unrest.
- 1 outlet A separate arrest took place in Kraljevo, where a man identified only as M.A. was detained on suspicion of calling for violent change to the constitutional order.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The arrests come as Serbia faces continued political tension around its election process, with authorities citing a specific plan to bring people to the capital to disrupt election day. Any organised unrest in Belgrade would add to months of street tension in the country.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Where did the arrests take place?
- In Novi Sad and Kraljevo, Serbia, according to public broadcaster RTS.
- What were the suspects accused of?
- Planning for around 80 people to travel to Belgrade on 25 October to incite riots on election day, RTS reported.
- Was anyone else arrested?
- Yes, a man identified only as M.A. from Vrnjačka Banja, accused of calling for violent change to the constitutional order.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.