Serbia: Violent police crackdown against COVID-19 lockdown protesters must stop

Following footage showing a widspread violent crackdown against protesters in Serbia’s capital Belgrade and other major towns across the country, which left dozens of people injured, Amnesty International’s Balkans Researcher Jelena Sesar said: “Images of Serbian police firing tear gas and stun grenades indiscriminately into the crowd, and of protesters and bystanders being charged by mounted police and beaten by police in riot gear, raise serious concerns.”

“What is of additional concern are credible reports of police use of facial recognition cameras in Belgrade to identify protestors. Amnesty International opposes use of facial recognition technology for mass surveillance, such as at protests and demonstrations. The new technology is still largely unregulated and tends to disproportionately target specific groups of people, it can have a chilling effect on the right to protest.”