# Čačak police chief hit detained activist

Category: Violence against citizens  
Period: from 15 Aug 2025  
Outcome: No one investigated (as of 18 Aug 2025)  

After a gathering over police violence in Valjevo, citizens broke through a police cordon outside the SNS offices in Čačak on 15 August 2025, and police chief Draško Darijević allegedly punched a detained activist in the stomach while two officers held him. The Čačak Police Department opened a review of the use of force and denied that brass knuckles had been used. POKS filed a criminal complaint against the police chief on 18 August 2025.

## Cordon outside the SNS offices

On 15 August 2025, people gathered in Čačak to protest police violence in Valjevo. They marched through the town and stopped outside the SNS offices, where a police cordon was waiting for them. When the cordon was broken, one activist was detained.

The head of the Čačak Police Department, Draško Darijević, allegedly punched him in the stomach while two police officers were holding him. The activist says he had surrendered, was not resisting and did not expect the blow. He was taken to hospital for a medical examination.

## The police response

The Čačak Police Department said that officers who had been attacked, the department head among them, used physical force and restraints against the person who broke through the cordon. It said it had opened proceedings to assess whether the use of coercive measures was justified.

It denied that “brass knuckles” were used: according to its statement, they were handcuffs. It also said that the prosecutor's office had stated that the detained man's conduct contained elements of the criminal offence of obstructing an official.

## Calls to resign and a criminal complaint

The local branches of the Democratic Party, the People's Movement of Serbia and Dveri, along with the citizens' group “Istina i čast”, called for the police chief to be dismissed or to resign. On 16 August, several hundred people from Čačak gathered outside the house where he lives, and the police set up a cordon.

On 18 August, POKS filed a criminal complaint against him.

## Participants

- [Draško Darijević](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/drasko-darijevic): Allegedly punched a detained activist in the stomach while two police officers were holding him (responsible)
- [Čačak Police Department](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/pu-cacak): It opened proceedings to assess the use of force and denied that “brass knuckles” were used (commented on the case)
- [Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/poks): Filed a criminal complaint against the police chief for striking a citizen who was already in custody (oversight and the public)

## Sources

- [N1: Čačak police open proceedings to assess whether force used against protester in Čačak was justified](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/cacanska-policija-pokrenula-postupak-ocene-opravdanosti-upotrebe-sile-prema-demonstrantu-u-cacku/>): 17 Aug 2025
- [Nedeljnik: Čačak police: We did not use “brass knuckles”, review of use of coercive measures under way](<https://www.nedeljnik.rs/policija-cacka-nismo-upotrebili-bokser-u-toku-provera-pravilnosti-upotrebe-prinude/>): 17 Aug 2025
- [N1: Čačak police deny protester was struck with “brass knuckles”](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/policija-u-cacku-demantovala-da-je-demonstrant-udaren-bokserom/>): 17 Aug 2025
- [N1: Čačak police chief's “cowardly blow”: activist left winded after being punched](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/mucki-udarac-nacelnika-policije-u-cacku-aktivista-nakon-pesnice-ostao-bez-vazduha/>): 19 Aug 2025
- [OzonPress: Čačak police chief Draško Darijević hits a man held by two police officers (VIDEO)](<https://www.ozonpress.net/hronika/nacelnik-pu-cacak-drasko-darijevic-udara-coveka-koga-drze-dva-policajca-video/>): 16 Aug 2025
- [Danas: DS and NPS demand resignation of Čačak police chief for punching protester](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/politika/ds-i-nps-traze-ostavku-nacelnika-cacanske-policije-jer-je-pesnicom-udario-demonstranta/>): 17 Aug 2025
- [OzonPress: POKS files criminal complaint against Čačak police chief](<https://www.ozonpress.net/politika/poks-podneo-krivicnu-prijavu-protiv-nacelnika-cacanske-policije/>): 18 Aug 2025
- [Nedeljnik: POKS files criminal complaint against Čačak police chief](<https://www.nedeljnik.rs/poks-podneo-krivicnu-prijavu-protiv-nacelnika-cacanske-policije/>): 18 Aug 2025
- [N1: Čačak residents protest outside the home of the Čačak police chief](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/cacani-protestuju-ispred-kuce-u-kojoj-zivi-nacelnik-cacanske-policije/>): 17 Aug 2025

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Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/nacelnik-policije-cacak-udario-aktivistu  
As of: 6 Nov 2026  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)