Marko Kričak threatened to rape a student in the Government garage

Category: Above the law

Period: from 14 Aug 2025

Outcome: Under investigation (as of 2 Nov 2026)

According to the testimony of student Nikolina Sinđelić, Marko Kričak, commander of the police unit JZO, slapped her, slammed her head against a wall and threatened her with rape in the Government building's garage after a protest on 14 August 2025. The Interior Ministry denies this. Instead of being investigated, he was appointed head of the Criminal Police Directorate at the end of 2025. He was arrested on 1 November 2026 in a separate case (Senjak), and on 6 November the First Basic Court ordered detention for nine suspects in the garage torture case, among them Igor Žmirić.

The Government garage

After a protest on 14 August 2025, members of the JZO took Nikolina Sinđelić and other demonstrators into the garage of the Government of Serbia building. Sinđelić says Kričak slapped her, banged her head against a wall and threatened to rape her; students Stevan Zdravković and Dušan Cvetković gave similar accounts.

The Interior Ministry and minister Ivica Dačić denied the allegations and said the students had been brought into the building for their own protection. According to Insajder, Ombudsman Zoran Pašalić said in September 2025 that he had reviewed the garage footage „in detail“ and that much of the testimony was not true. Police violence outside Belgrade in August 2025 is covered as a separate affair („Attack by SNS supporters on citizens in Vrbas and Bačka Palanka“).

Complaints and deleted footage

Two criminal complaints have been filed against Kričak and merged into a single case at the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade. Besides him, the complaint filed by the SRCE party on 18 August 2025 names his deputy Vujadin Lukić, Jovan Opačić, Bojan Janjić, Dragan Vein, Nenad Dumić, Nebojša Filipović and Zoran Vukajlović.

Seven days after the incident, the prosecutors asked the Internal Control Sector of the Interior Ministry for the garage's camera footage and were told it did not exist, because recordings are deleted after a short time; the Sector's full report arrived only on 23 July 2026. On 2 November 2026, the prosecutors told RTS that an investigation of the suspects would follow, while Sinđelić says that more than a year on, she has still not been questioned about her complaint.

Oversight and arrests over the garage

Branko Stamenković, a prosecutor at the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, said that the office's commission took over the case on 29 October 2026 to oversee it; on 2 November the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office received a binding instruction on how to proceed.

On 4 November the Interior Ministry detained eight police officers and one former officer, among them SAJ commander Igor Žmirić, Kričak's former deputy, and Milan Vuković Baka, acting director of the detention unit where Kričak is held. The prosecution accuses them of torturing ten people as members of the JZO, with M. K. (1984) as the first defendant, allegedly Kričak, who will be questioned during the investigation. At the prosecution's request, the First Basic Court on 6 November ordered all nine held in detention for up to 30 days, citing the risk that they could influence witnesses and the risk of public disturbance.

Kričak v. Sinđelić

Kričak filed a complaint against Sinđelić for damage to his reputation and is seeking 500,000 dinars from her, and misdemeanour proceedings are also under way against her. MP Slavica Radovanović said Kričak approached her in the National Assembly after she asked about his career.

Head of the Criminal Police Directorate

In late December 2025, Kričak was appointed head of the Criminal Police Directorate. According to Nova.rs, dozens of transfers followed, and he put people from the JZO in top posts: deputy Nenad Marić, coordinator Nenad Obradović, Marko Zafirović and Branislav Milenković. According to Radar and Nova.rs, in July and August 2025 these men arrested people on the streets of Belgrade, in plain clothes and from cars without number plates.

In October 2026 KRIK reported that after a record seizure of marijuana in Konjuh, 15 senior officers of the Drug Enforcement Service were removed from their posts, and the signatories say no one has replied to them. Students Luka Pešić and Petar Živković said the Criminal Police Directorate had questioned and followed them, respectively.

Arrest over Senjak

Kričak was arrested together with the head of the Crime Suppression Service, Boško Sekulović, on the orders of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade. They are suspected of abusing their office between May and June 2026, in connection with the murder at the restaurant “27” in Senjak, to the detriment of former Belgrade police chief Veselin Milić, whose complaint has been joined to the case. According to the prosecution, Kričak verbally approved Sekulović's criminal complaint that also covered Milić, although he was aware of what it alleged.

Kričak is also suspected of having, on 16 May at the Criminal Police Directorate, beaten one victim on the head and choked him with a hood together with other police officers, after which they beat the soles of his feet with a belt. According to Radar, he is also suspected of fabricating evidence and pressuring witnesses and defendants, and the accused restaurant owner says Kričak also beat him.

Custody and suspension from duty

Kričak and Sekulović were first ordered held for up to 48 hours; Higher Public Prosecutor Nenad Stefanović says the arrests have nothing to do with the elections. After questioning, the Higher Court in Belgrade ordered them held in custody for up to 30 days because of the risk of witness tampering, and on 6 November, following an appeal by the prosecution, a panel of that court added the risk of reoffending.

The Interior Ministry then suspended them from duty, and their deputies took charge: the Criminal Police Directorate is run by Kričak's deputy Nevenko Marić, former head of the Novi Sad police, who has a final conviction for workplace bullying of an inspector who worked on the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija. After the custody ruling, on 6 November the Interior Ministry also suspended SAJ commander Igor Žmirić; the unit is run by the deputy commander.

Participants

Marko Kričak: According to Sinđelić, he slapped her and threatened her with rape in the government garage; prosecutors also suspect him of torturing the owner of the restaurant "27" (responsible)
Dragan J. Vučićević: Allegedly showed intimate photos of Nikolina Sinđelić on live television and discussed them with guests (responsible)
Dijana Hrkalović: According to the students in the blockade, she started the spread of intimate photos of Nikolina Sinđelić (responsible)
Unit for the Protection of Certain Persons and Facilities (JZO), Interior Ministry: According to the students, unit members tied the detainees' hands, smashed their phones and kept them on the floor of the government garage for hours (responsible)
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia: On 30 December 2025 it appointed Kričak head of the Criminal Police Directorate, even though students had accused him of abuse and threats in the government garage (responsible)
Ivica Dačić: Said there had been no tying up or mistreatment in the government garage and that everything had been done in line with the law (commented on the case)
Aleksandar Vučić: In a letter to the European Commission, he defended the “legitimate actions of the police” and stated that Sinđelić is a member of an opposition party (commented on the case)
Criminal Police Directorate (UKP), Interior Ministry: According to student Luka Pešić, it searched his flat and took him in for questioning over putting up stickers bearing Kričak's face (responsible)
Đuro Macut: According to a letter from 13 police officers, no one replied to their letter about the dismissals after the seizure in Konjuh, including him as prime minister (commented on the case)
First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade: According to the injured party and her lawyer, a year after the complaint was filed it had questioned neither her nor Kričak, until a commission of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office took over the case (responsible)
Public Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime: On 18 August 2025 it received a criminal complaint from SRCE against Kričak and seven members of the Unit for the Protection of Designated Persons and Facilities, and referred it to the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office (investigation and courts)
Internal Control Sector of the Interior Ministry (MUP): In response to the prosecutor's office's request, it replied that the footage from the Government garage does not exist because it is deleted; it did not deliver the full report until July 2026. (investigation and courts)
Serbia Centre (SRCE): It filed a criminal complaint against Kričak and seven members of the Unit for the Protection of Designated Persons and Facilities for abuse of office and ill-treatment and torture (oversight and the public)
Miroslav Aleksić: He said Kričak would serve Vučić to “use the apparatus of repression and force to settle scores” with citizens (oversight and the public)
Slavica Radovanović: Member of Parliament; says Kričak approached her in the National Assembly after she asked about his career (harmed)
Vujadin Lukić: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Jovan Opačić: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Bojan Janjić: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Dragan Vein: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Nenad Dumić: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Nebojša Filipović: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Zoran Vukajlović: According to a criminal complaint by the SRCE party, he ill-treated and tortured detainees together with Kričak and abused his official position (responsible)
Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for Combating Corruption: Ordered Kričak's arrest on suspicion of abuse of office in the "Senjak" case and of torturing a victim (investigation and courts)
Nenad Stefanović: Confirmed the detention of Kričak and Sekulović, set out the grounds for suspicion and said the arrest had nothing to do with the elections (investigation and courts)
Zoran Pašalić: Said they had reviewed the footage from the Government garage "down to the last detail" and that much of what was claimed was not true (oversight and the public)
Nevenko Marić: As Kričak's deputy, he took over running the UKP after Kričak's arrest; on 1 November 2026 he was summoned for an informational interview about "Senjak" (commented on the case)
Marko Zafirović: Allegedly, as a JZO department head in July 2025, he shoved an activist from the blockades into an Audi without number plates; he later became head of the Service for Combating Organised Crime (responsible)
Igor Žmirić: According to Sinđelić, he kicked her from behind in the Government garage; he is in custody on suspicion of torturing detainees there together with JZO members (responsible)
Slavica Jokić Janković: According to Sinđelić, as the prosecutor handling her complaint she did not question Kričak either, which Sinđelić considers a disciplinary offence (responsible)
Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office: His commission took over the Government garage case, in which the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office then received a binding instruction on how to proceed (investigation and courts)
Branko Stamenković: As a member of a Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office commission, he announced that the commission had taken over the Government garage case (investigation and courts)
Higher Court in Belgrade: At the prosecution's request, it ordered Kričak detained for up to 30 days in the "Senjak" case over the risk of witness interference, and, on appeal, also over the risk of reoffending (investigation and courts)
Zagorka Dolovac: She issued a binding instruction in the Government garage case, ordering that an investigation be opened against Kričak (investigation and courts)
Branislav Milenković: He allegedly threatened citizens filming Sinđelić's detention with a telescopic baton; according to the Green-Left Front, he was also the one who detained her (responsible)
Milan Vuković: He was detained in November 2026 on suspicion of torturing students in the Government garage as a JZO member (responsible)
Nenad Marić: As assistant commander of the JZO, he allegedly arrested a clarinet teacher in July 2025; Kričak then brought him in as his deputy at the Criminal Police Directorate (responsible)
Nenad Obradović: In July 2025 he arrested people while in plain clothes, without ID and from a car with hidden number plates; Kričak brought him in as coordinator of the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP) (responsible)
First Basic Court in Belgrade: Ordered up to 30 days' detention for nine current and former JZO members suspected of torture in the Government garage (investigation and courts)