The teenage son of actor Aleksandar Marinković was beaten and forced to delete phone photographs by individuals stationed near a ruling party booth outside the National Theatre in Niš amid an ongoing theatre festival.
A violent confrontation unfolded outside the National Theatre in Niš as the venue hosted the international Teatar na raskršću festival, drawing guests and artists from across Europe. The incident targeted a minor whose father is a drama actor at the theatre, leaving the family demanding accountability and an immediate police investigation. The Association of Dramatic Artists of Serbia, led by its president Pavle Pekić, released an official statement expressing unwavering backing for their colleague and his household while demanding an immediate halt to all forms of violence.
Assault Outside the Niš National Theatre During Festival Evenings
The youth was waiting with a companion to enter the theatre building when a group stationed around a booth maintained by the Srpska napredna stranka confronted him. According to statements shared by his father, drama actor Aleksandar Marinković, the teenager had raised his phone to photograph his surroundings when the device happened to point toward the party setup. The father noted that no other political rallies or student gatherings were taking place in the vicinity at the time, leaving only the political party stand operating outside the venue.
Perceiving the camera gesture as a provocation, multiple individuals rushed forward. The father described the assailants as part of a regular contingent wearing dark sweatshirts, caps, and tracksuits stationed near the theatre entrance where loud turbo-folk music had reportedly played for days despite ongoing performances inside.
Aleksandar Marinković said that “SNS booths were in front, and they noticed him taking a picture with his phone with a girl and friends and interpreted that as, I suppose, taking a picture of them, and five or six of them rushed over to him and tried to snatch his phone. Since he wouldn’t give it to them, he received a few blows and in the end they made him stand still, endure humiliation and delete from his phone those pictures that he took on the threshold of the Niš National Theatre.”
After demanding the device, the group struck the victim multiple times and compelled him to delete the images from both his active gallery and deleted items folder. Threats of extreme violence followed, warning him of severe harm if he returned to the location. The student organization known as Studentska lista formally called for an urgent inquiry, demanding the complete identification of all perpetrators and the collection of nearby security camera footage to verify the facts.
Medical Treatment and Police Investigation Status
Following the altercation, emergency medical responders transferred the injured teenager to the Univerzitetski klinički centar Niš. Specialists in pediatric surgery examined the patient and performed necessary diagnostics.
Hospital officials confirmed that clinical examinations revealed no acute surgical conditions or indications requiring inpatient admission, and the minor was discharged after evaluation. The family reported the episode to law enforcement, while police had not issued an official public statement regarding the case.
Reactions from Cultural Associations and Student Groups
The Udruženje dramskih umetnika Srbije issued an urgent appeal condemning all forms of violence and offering unwavering solidarity to their member and his family. Association president Pavle Pekić signed the statement calling for an immediate end to such incidents.
Simultaneously, the Studentska lista demanded an expedited inquiry, the identification of all responsible individuals, and the preservation of security camera footage from the theatre entrance to secure objective evidence of the crime.
