Serbian government announces tightening weapons ownership measures

The amendments, as said in the Serbian Government's announcement on May 5th, will toughen the criteria for possession of short firearms, and those that fail to meet these strict criteria are projected to buy mandatory weapons.

These measures are being approved to reduce by 90 percent the number of short weapons owned by legal and physical persons”, the report said.

Furthermore, new amendments to the law will also enable mandatory control of citizens who have the right to possess weapons, including hunting weapons.

Controls will include medical, psychiatric and psychological examinations, but also mandatory tests for psychoactive substances. These controls will take place every six months or a year.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs will also consider hardening the criteria for obtaining hunting weapons.

Before the measures, the mortorium for obtaining licenses for possession of short firearms, which was approved on May 4th 2023, the Interior Ministry, as warned, will take all measures to ensure the mortorium for granting hunting weapons permit.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs will publicly invite citizens who illegally have firearms and explosive devices to hand them over within a month, without facing any consequences.

The Serbian government approved these measures after they were introduced during a news conference 5 May by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.

Serbia has declared three days of mourning because of two armed attacks.

The first attack took place on May 3, when one student killed eight other students and the school guard. The event took place at an elementary school in downtown Belgrade.

A day later, in settlements near Belgrade, a 21-year-old man allegedly killed eight people and injured several others.