Corruption Research Institute: Irregularities in Police Raid of University Point to Show of Force

(BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

The Kareja Corruption Research Institute said in a press release on April 1 that serious omissions were noted with respect to the legality of the actions taken by police when raiding the University of Belgrade Rectorate building.

The press release said police officers had used sound and light signalling while performing the search despite the absence of need for urgent action, drove official vehicles recklessly and leaked information about the place and time of the search, which led to it being televised live.

Furthermore, they allowed the release of a police video of delivering the search order, deployed an unproportionally large number of Criminal Police Administration members, prevented work from being performed in the building before the search and removed a banner from the building, violating laws and the police code of ethics. "Said actions by police officers indicate this being a show of force, which may have found justification had this been the search of mafia premises sheltering hardened armed criminals instead of the highest academic institution, protected by autonomy," the institute's statement read, adding that this demonstration of force had been bolstered by disturbing coverage from some media outlets and led to students, teachers and citizens gathering in front of the building.

"Rather than defuse the situation in line with its obligation to serve the community, the police responded by bringing in a large number of various police units in full gear, increasing the sense of latent violence among those assembled, which soon maniested at a low-intensity level," the statement read, adding that the people's mistrust of the police appeared to be great and that this would not contribute to the resolution of the sociopolitical crisis.