Serbian Police Raid 4 Civil Society Organizations, Citing Possible Misuse of USAID Funds

A Serbian prosecutor said investigations are proceeding after the Trump administration’s recent scrutiny of U.S. foreign aid under USAID.

Serbian police officers block the entrance to the city hall in Novi Sad while local demonstrators throw eggs, flour, and paint at them during the election of the new mayor of Novi Sad, on Feb. 24, 2025. Nenad Mihajlovic/AFP via Getty Images

Police in Serbia raided the offices of at least four civil society organizations on Feb. 25, as part of an investigation into allegations that those organizations misused funds provided to them by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Serbian state prosecutor Nenad Stefanović confirmed the police raids at a Tuesday press conference publicized by Radio Television of Serbia, a state-owned broadcaster. Stefanović said the police raids were necessary to collect evidence that the organizations misused USAID funds and may have engaged in money laundering.