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Serbia authorities investigate groups receiving US funding

25 February 2025 19:01 (UTC +04:00)

Serbian prosecutors on Tuesday opened investigations into several civil society groups over the alleged misuse of funds provided by the US government's aid agency, APA reports citing foreign media.

Chief Public Prosecutor Nenad Stefanovic said the probe targeted four organisations and added that authorities had requested the seizure of all documentation related to donations given by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The move follows a funding freeze at USAID ordered by President Donald Trump that has upended Washington's main foreign development arm and seen thousands lose their jobs and halted humanitarian programmes across the world.

On Monday, President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbian officials would assist American law enforcement "in its probe into the funding of Serbian NGOs by USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy".

Since 2001, USAID has invested nearly 900 million euros into economic and civil society projects in Serbia and funded the renovation and construction of schools, cultural centres, and health facilities.

The decades-old agency has, over the years, faced criticism in the aid sector for its overhead costs and questions on whether some of its programmes achieve their objectives.