Arrests in Novi Sad over fake residency registrations for voters from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prosecutors say suspects registered Bosnian citizens at false Serbian addresses between April and July 2025 in exchange for payment.
Six people have been arrested in Novi Sad on suspicion of running a scheme that registered citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina at false Serbian addresses in return for payment, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced.
Prosecutors say false registrations were prepared ahead of Serbian elections
According to the prosecutor's office, written documents gathered in the investigation show that between April and July 2025 the suspects helped citizens from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina register fictitious residences in Serbia so they could vote in Serbian elections in exchange for money.
The detainees allegedly used their positions within municipal administration and the Mali Zvornik police station to enter false information about residents' addresses into official field verification records. The prosecutor's office said those transactions involved cash payments to the voters.
The statement names suspects by initials: G.R., M.O. and F.Đ. are charged with the offence described as "influence on business", while T.J., N.T., B.I. and M.O. are accused of "abuse of official position". The initial announcement said six people were arrested; the formal list of initials includes seven entries.
Prosecutors also expanded the probe to cover misuse of municipal resources in Mali Zvornik. The office alleges that one of the suspects, M.O., used municipal vehicles for private trips to Belgrade in April and May 2025, specifically visiting Pionirski Park (the so-called "Čačiland"). Another suspect, B.I., is accused of knowingly authenticating travel orders that omitted descriptions of official duties and the times of vehicle departure and return.
Under an order from the Special Department for Combating Corruption, all suspects were detained by police for up to 48 hours. Within the statutory time limit they will be brought to the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad for questioning, after which a decision will be made on next steps and a possible motion for pre-trial detention.
Fictitious residency registrations and organised transport of voters from neighbouring countries — particularly from Bosnia and Herzegovina — have been the subject of heated debates and accusations in Serbia by opposition parties and non-governmental organisations, which warn of systemic manipulation of elections.
Photo: press material from the event
