The arrests of activists are a political showdown, not the rule of law!

Instead of addressing the real problems—corruption, crime at the top of government, and the collapse of institutions—the state is arresting young people and activists who fight for justice and transparency. Instead of holding accountable the investors and city officials responsible for the disaster on Liberation Boulevard, in which 15 people died after the canopy collapsed, the government is targeting those who point to systemic abuses and negligence. This arrest has nothing to do with the law and everything to do with political retaliation.

Of particular concern is the fact that among those arrested are activists from the student group STAV, who made a significant contribution to launching the protest in Novi Sad. Their courage, organization, and perseverance in the fight against corruption, political pressure, and the trampling of student rights have shown that there is a generation of young people who refuse to accept the government’s dictates and injustice. And instead of being recognized as an example of civic courage, they are now the targets of persecution.

This is not the first time the regime has resorted to such methods. Instead of investigating who organized the illegal wiretapping, they prosecute those who exposed it. Instead of prosecuting those who make harmful decisions, devastate this country, and oppress their own citizens, they arrest those who oppose such policies.

This is how authorities behave when they feel they are losing control—first they ignore criticism, then they intimidate, and finally they resort to arrests. But let us be clear: pressure will not quash resistance. On the contrary, such moves only further demonstrate how wrong and unsustainable this system is.

That is why I demand the immediate release of the arrested activists and an end to the abuse of institutions for political purposes. Every government is temporary, and responsibility for such actions will, sooner or later, be brought to account.