Two individuals have been detained amid protests that the president claims are foreign-backed
The Interior Ministry reports that Serbian authorities have arrested two people suspected of plotting to assassinate President Aleksandar Vucic, his wife, and children. The arrests come as Serbia faces anti-government protests that Vucic says are fueled by foreign interference.
In a Monday statement, the Interior Ministry identified the suspects as D.R., 50, and M.R., 42, both residents of Kraljevo, Serbia, saying they were detained in a joint operation by several law enforcement agencies.
Officials allege they have been conspiring since December 2025 to “forcibly change the constitutional order of the Republic of Serbia.”
The operation allegedly involved “arranging the procurement of weapons and an attack on the life and body of the President of the Republic of Serbia, his wife and children,” as well as violence against police officers.
The suspects can be held for up to 48 hours on the basis of a criminal complaint and will be brought before a prosecutor’s office, the ministry added.
The arrests come amid one of Serbia’s most serious political crises in recent years, which began in November 2024 when a concrete canopy at the newly renovated Novi Sad railway station collapsed, killing 16 people.
The tragedy sparked sweeping—and at times violent—protests, with demonstrators accusing the government of corruption and a lack of accountability, and demanding snap elections and Vucic’s resignation.
Vucic and his supporters say the protests were backed by foreign powers seeking to engineer a color revolution in Serbia, which maintains close ties with Moscow and has resisted EU pressure to sanction Russia over the Ukraine conflict. The president has also accused Albanian and Kosovo intelligence services of attempting to destabilize Serbia.
Following the Novi Sad tragedy, the government announced a series of concessions, including the publication of prosecutorial documents related to the collapse and a pledge to increase university funding by 20%. Several senior ministers submitted their resignations.
Vucic has also promised to hold snap elections. Although no date has been set, he has indicated that they could take place this year.