Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said in a statement today that the ministry and the police are not hiding anything and if the Serbian police abused their power during the ongoing protests in Serbia, it will be investigated, Serbian national television RTS reported, quoted by BTA.
Regarding the request of the Rectors' Collegium to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office to establish the truth about the actions of the police at the Serbian government building on August 15, Dacic stressed that the Internal Control Service will investigate whether there was abuse and excess of authority by police officers.
Dacic denied the accusations of Belgrade University student Nikolina Sindjelic that she was mistreated and threatened with rape by Marko Kricak, head of the Security Unit for Certain Persons and Objects at the Ministry of Interior, after she was arrested during an anti-government protest days ago.
Dacic reported that Sindjelic was arrested because she participated in an illegal traffic blockade at the corner of Knez Milos Street and Nemanina Street. on August 14 at around 11:00 p.m. along with five people who were throwing flares at the police.
“The police brought them to the government building to transport them to the police station in Stari Grad (...), as they would be exposed to attack on the street“, Dacic added, referring to video footage circulated on social media showing protesters kneeling with handcuffs on their hands.
“At around 1:30 a.m. she (Nikolina) was brought to Stari Grad, where the prosecutor stated that there were elements to initiate criminal proceedings, and at 3:00 a.m. she was released from the station. There was no tying up, insults or any kind of abuse“, Dacic said.
Today, a protest was held in Belgrade in support of Nikolina Sindjelic under the slogan "We are all Nikolina" demanding that Marko Kricak be fired.
The student was also supported by the rector of the University of Belgrade, Prof. Vladan Djokic, who asked the Chief Prosecutor Zagorka Dolovac to take measures in response to the students' testimonies about police violence in the Serbian government building.
“If someone is guilty, they will go to prison, but don't spread untruths, contact the competent authorities“, Dacic said and shared that two days ago he spent hours searching for confirmation of the false information published in some media about a 17-year-old who died during a protest in Valjevo.