Blocking court in Novi Sad, BETAPHOTO: Dragan Gojić
In the morning on Aug. 19, protesting students of the University of Novi Sad and local citizens blocked the entrances to the judicial building in Novi Sad in protest of unlawful arrests in the city.
They are deployed at all four entrances to the building and are not allowing anyone to go in. Police officers are stationed inside the building and behind the fence at the back entrance. Citizens are making noise by blowing whistles, vuvuzelas and banging drums.
The protesting students have said that the blockade represents an act of resistance “against recent unlawful arrests and legal violence” against their fellow students and friends. They demand immediate release of all who, they claim, have been detained without lawful justification, and who are now facing serious criminal and misdemeanor charges, “including assault on a public official, violent behavior, disturbing the peace violations, and even an attempt to commit aggravated murder.”
The students also said that a new blocked of the courthouse was launched because 12 of their comrades had been so far ruled up to 30-day detention.
Of the arrested, six, charged with an attempt to commit aggravated murder over alleged attacks on members of the Cobras (Kobre), the Special Purpose Military Police Unit, during a last week protest in Novi Sad, have been ruled up to 30-day detention. Another five arrested are in the district prison, while one person has been placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring, due to his health condition.
On Aug. 17 and 18, citizens organized protests outside the courthouse, but it was decided to start blocking the building as of Aug. 19.
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