Tensions rise in Belgrade as demonstrators call for fair elections

Tensions flared in the Serbian capital on Sunday as thousands of protestors gathered to demand the annulment of recent parliamentary and local elections.
The demonstrations stemmed from allegations of unfairness and irregularities leveled by international observers and the opposition, casting a shadow over the results that saw the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) emerge victorious.
An international monitoring mission reported on Monday that the SNS had gained an unfair advantage due to media bias, the improper influence of President Aleksandar Vucic, and voting irregularities, including allegations of vote buying.
President Vucic insisted that the elections were conducted fairly despite the allegations.
During Sunday's protest, tension escalated as the crowd attempted to break into the Belgrade town hall, where the local election commission is based. In response, the police deployed pepper spray, and some protesters climbed the building, breaking windows. Objects, including stones, were thrown at windows, resulting in shattered glass.
Chants of "Vucic thief" echoed through the crowd.
In an official statement, the interior ministry urged protesters to "refrain from breaking into the town hall." President Vucic, in an address later in the evening, called for calm and stated, "By reacting calmly, we are trying not to hurt protesters."
The center-left opposition alliance, Serbia Against Violence, secured the second position in the elections with 23.56% of the vote, while the Socialist Party of Serbia came in third with 6.56%.
Srdjan Milivojevic and Vladimir Obradovic of the Serbia Against Violence coalition attempted to open the door of the town hall during the protest but were unsuccessful. The crowd urged them with chants of "get in, get in," and "no surrender."
By 10 p.m. (2100 GMT), the anti-riot police intervened, pushing protestors away from the town hall.
The situation remains volatile, with the opposition vowing to continue their fight for a fair electoral process. A member of Serbia Against Violence, Marinika Tepic, has been on a hunger strike since the elections, further amplifying the pressure on the authorities.
It remains to be seen how the government will respond to the mounting demands and whether new elections will be called. (ILKHA)
LEGAL WARNING: All rights of the published news, photos and videos are reserved by İlke Haber Ajansı Basın Yayın San. Trade A.Ş. Under no circumstances can all or part of the news, photos and videos be used without a written contract or subscription.
The newly appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation, Mawlawi Gul Hasan, officially assumed his duties during an introductory meeting with embassy staff on Wednesday.
A Ugandan military helicopter, part of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, crashed this morning at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, leaving five of the eight occupants feared dead, according to Ugandan officials.
A high-ranking delegation from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, arrived in Azerbaijan on Tuesday to attend the 17th Summit of the Heads of State of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
A total of 16 people were injured on Wednesday when an SUV rammed into a restaurant at a rest area along an expressway in Gangneung, located in eastern South Korea, local authorities said.