Student Luka M. (21), one of the detained academics during the Vidovdan protest who was not questioned by the prosecutor’s office within the stipulated 48 hours, underwent surgery today at Zemun Hospital, attorney Božo Prelević confirmed for Nova.rs. Luka sustained severe injuries during a police intervention on the streets of Belgrade, when a police officer struck him in the face with a baton, despite the young man having his hands raised.
Luka M. suffered a horrific blow to the face from a gendarmerie officer on Saturday evening, following a large protest at Slavija. He was subsequently hospitalized.
“He has been operated on; the surgery at Zemun Hospital was successful, and he is out of life danger,” Prelević told Nova.rs.
Prelević emphasized that they have no information on whether proceedings have been initiated against the police officers who injured Luka. “We currently have no information on that,” he added, stressing that Luka’s health is now the family’s top priority.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade has not commented on the severe injuries sustained by Luka. They merely stated a few days ago that Luka was not questioned at the same time as other individuals detained after the Slavija protest, without providing details as to why this was not done.
Nova.rs today asked the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade why they did not announce that the young man was severely injured during the police intervention, and whether proceedings have been initiated against the police officers who injured Luka, but we received no response.
How Luka Was Injured
Luka’s colleague, Novak Simin, previously recounted to N1 what happened to Luka after the Vidovdan protest.
“He is positive, he has severe bodily injuries – a broken upper jaw, nose, cheekbone, a fractured frontal bone, and injuries to the eye socket. He is waiting for the surgeries he needs, for adequate help,” Simin said at the time.
According to Simin, what they know and what they saw from videos and witness statements is that “a gendarmerie cordon started to break through, and Luka was left behind.”
“Videos show him raising his hands, not attacking the police, and one of the gendarmes in full gear first hits him with a fist to the face, and then when he falls to the ground, additional blows are still visible, which led to severe bodily injuries. Luka was not provided adequate assistance for the next six to seven hours; he was in a gendarmerie vehicle until the early morning hours,” Simin stated.
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Source: Nova.rs, Foto: M.M./ATAImages