Europe's human rights watchdog concerned over use of force against Serbia anti-corruption protesters

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Europe's human rights watchdog Friday expressed concern that Serbian authorities were using excessive force and arbitrary detentions to break up street protests against the populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic.

Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, said in a statement that “freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are key human rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and it is Serbia’s duty to guarantee them."

“I am concerned about the current human rights situation in Serbia, where, despite the assurances I received from the authorities during my visit in April, excessive use of force is being applied to curb demonstrations,” O’Flaherty said.

Amnesty International and Civil Rights Defenders urged restraint and an investigation into any use of unlawful force.

“Footage of Serbian riot police indiscriminately targeting peaceful protesters gathered at blockades on the street and in front of universities in Belgrade are alarming,” the rights groups said in a joint statement on Friday. “A heavy-handed response to peaceful dissent cannot be justified.”

Riot police have detained scores of demonstrators since a major rally last weekend, including university students, their professors and others, who have been blocking traffic throughout the country demanding an early parliamentary election.

Tensions have soared since the rally last weekend by tens of thousands of people in Belgrade which ended with clashes between riot police and groups of protesters. Monthslong demonstrations previously had been largely calm.

Police also intervened on Friday to clear traffic blockades in Belgrade, briefly detaining a number of protesters. Defiant demonstrators protesters returned to jam the streets on Friday evening.

University students behind the protests have said that police have injured many peaceful demonstrators in the past several days. Witnesses told local media that riot police beat up protesters with batons and shields, and that four students were hospitalized early Thursday, including one with a broken clavicle.

Police have denied the use of excessive force, warning that blocking traffic is illegal. Vucic has described ongoing protests as “terror” and an attempt to bring down the state.

O’Flaherty's statement said that “increased levels of the use of force by the police as well as arbitrary arrests and detention have occurred during the week.”

“I am particularly concerned about the arrest of children, as well as the number of students being charged for criminal offenses or hospitalized for the treatment of injuries,” O’Flaherty said in a statement.

He added that “mischaracterization of this largely peaceful student-led movement should be avoided at all costs.”

Both the European Union mission in Serbia and the U.N. Human Rights Office said Thursday that they were watching the situation closely and urged restraint.

Persistent protests that have rattled Vucic first started in November after a renovated train station canopy collapsed in Serbia's north, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blame the tragedy on alleged corruption-fueled negligence in state infrastructure projects.

Critics say Vucic has become increasingly authoritarian since coming to power more than a decade ago, stifling democratic freedoms while allowing corruption and organized crime to flourish, which he has denied.

Serbia is formally seeking entry to the EU, but Vucic’s government has nourished relations with Russia and China.

Serbian riot police officers guard intersection after remove street blockades that was set up as part of a protest after a massive rally demanding an early parliamentary election in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian riot police officers guard intersection after remove street blockades that was set up as part of a protest after a massive rally demanding an early parliamentary election in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian riot police officers guard intersection after remove street blockades that was set up as part of a protest after a massive rally demanding an early parliamentary election in Belgrade, Serbia, Friday, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)