The non-trial panel of the High Court in Novi Sad made a decision decision not to charge against Goran Vesić, Jelena Tanasković, Anita Dimoski, Milan Spremić, Marina Gavrilović and Dejan Todorović in the case of the fall of the canopy at the Railway Station in Novi Sad and that the criminal proceedings be suspended.
Vesić, Tanasković and Dimovski were accused of a serious offense against causing general danger, and the other three were accused of a serious offense against general safety in connection with the criminal offense of improper and improper execution of construction works, and according to the indictment of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad dated September 16, 2025.
The panel of the High Court in Novi Sad considers that there is not enough evidence to suspect that the defendants have committed the criminal acts that have been charged against them.
Reasoning of the Trial Chamber
As it is written in the explanation of the Sid Council, the High Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad filed an indictment on December 30, 2024, "after only 38 days of investigation", which was then sent back to be supplemented by the order of this court in mid-March.
"Common to almost all responses to the indictment is the statement that the prosecution only technically conducted the supplementary investigation, only collecting evidence and questioning the witnesses that the court indicated, without analyzing the results obtained in the supplementary investigation and applying it in the new indictment.", it is stated in the explanation.
They point out that in order to commit the crime of causing general danger, it is assumed that the official or responsible person did not act according to the regulations or rules.
"The court finds that in the specific case there is not enough evidence for a justified suspicion that the defendants Tanasković and Vesić, as officials, in the specific case, were obliged to act according to the regulations or technical rules on protection measures, and therefore that there is not enough evidence for a justified suspicion that they committed criminal acts in the manner described in the indictment, given that this form can only be committed by an official or a responsible person, and which regulations are not mentioned by the public prosecutor in the indictment," he states. court.
In addition, it is added, there must be evidence that would indicate that the accused were aware of the existence of the danger that it could be a criminal offense charged against them.
"From the attached evidence, it appears that these defendants, together with other officials, citizens and journalists, stood under that canopy, which will collapse four months later, during the ceremonial opening of the lobby of the B wing of the Railway Station in Novi Sad," says the court.
The next problem cited by the court is that the indictment does not show a clear connection between the actions of the accused and the consequences.
Suspension of proceedings against Goran Vesić and others in the case fall of the canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad opponents of the regime see it as a "continuation of the coup d'état" and believe that the decision was made under political pressure. For Diana Hrka, it is the "bottom of the bottom".
Sead Spahović: Thin indictment
In the storm of general indignation, the opinion of lawyer Sead Spahović stands out. He told "Vreme" that this court decision should be respected, because it is not legally binding.
"We need to wait to see if it will be final, and then I can comment. There are two problems with the canopy case, that is, questions: why did it fall and why were people under it, and the prosecutor should give an answer to those questions. In any case, I respect court decisions, the prosecutor will appeal, and that's why I have to wait. I'm not a fan, I'm not a blocker, I have to be professional and wait for the decision," says Spahović.
He points out that he already pointed out that it will be a problem that the indictment is written on 400 pages.
"When the Hague Tribunal issues a 400-page indictment, out of those 400 pages, 300 or 350 pages are facts. Here, the facts are on only five or six pages, and the rest are the prosecutor's comments. That 400-page mastodon is somewhat vulnerable, because on 400 pages the defense can look for mistakes. A prosecutor who is strong and knows what he wants goes narrower and deeper, not wider, because when it's wide, then it's thin," he says Spahovic.
Milivojević: Continuation of the coup d'état
On the other hand, the president of the Democratic Party, Srđan Milivojević, assessed that the decision of the Extrajudicial Chamber of the High Court in Novi Sad represents "a continuation of the coup d'état, which is being led by President Aleksandar Vučić for an extended period of time."
"That decision, which has nothing to do with law or justice, was written by Vučić himself, who unconstitutionally appoints himself as the supreme prosecutor and judge in every case related to corruption and organized crime. In this way, he rewards and protects all perpetrators of criminal acts committed by members of the ruling cartel headed by him," said Milivojević.
Veselinović: The decision was made under political pressure
Janko Veselinović, a member of the Presidency of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), believes that the decision of the Extrajudicial Chamber of the High Court in Novi Sad was made under political pressure from the executive power, i.e. the regime of Aleksandar Vučić.
"The decision of the Extra-Trial Chamber of the High Court in Novi Sad to dismiss the criminal charges against Goran Vesić, Jelena Tanasković and others means only one thing - that the judges, under political pressure from the executive power, i.e. the regime of Aleksandar Vučić, made the decision to absolve the top of the criminal pyramid from responsibility," wrote Veselinović on the social network X.
The President of the Provincial Government, Maja Gojković, is also at that top, and he is directly responsible for the accident. Those people, by their actions and inactions, caused the railway station to be opened even though there were no conditions for it.
"In addition, their ministries were a tool for unprecedented corruption related to the reconstruction of that station. Even Aleksandar Vučić should not avoid responsibility, whose cabinet, certainly on his order, was involved in speeding up the works with the aim of opening for political promotion. Similar to the case of the helicopter," Veselinović assessed.
Novaković: Scandalous decision
The Vice President of the National Movement of Serbia (NPS) Borislav Novaković characterized the mentioned decision as "scandalous".
Novaković stated that the court made a decision by which the real culprits for the loss of 16 lives were released from responsibility, while the episodic actors in that case will be sacrificed, in order to say that someone is responsible.
"Such a decision collapses and further deepens mistrust in institutions, because it proves once again that in Serbia the law does not apply equally to everyone and that it protects the interests of individuals close to the authorities," said Novaković.
Dijana Hrka: Shame and disgrace
Dijana Hrka, the mother of Stefano, a young man who died in the fall of a canopy in Novi Sad, said that the suspension of the criminal proceedings is "a shame and a shame".
As she told the Nova portal, such a decision represents "humiliation of the families of the victims".
"This is a disgrace and a shame for all of us. We were humiliated as families. The state humiliated us. I am desperate because of this, this is a big shock, only now I do not believe in any institution in this country. This president is the bottom of the bottom, as well as the judiciary and the prosecutor's office," said Hrka.
Vesić and Dimoski remain under house arrest
The ban on leaving the apartment was lifted against Jelena Tanasković, Spremić, Marina Gavrilović and Dejan Todorović and they were ordered to be released immediately, while Dimoski and Vesić remain under house arrest according to the decision of the High Court in Belgrade.
As stated, the indictment of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad is confirmed when it comes to Nebojsa Šurlan, Slobodan Naumović, Milan Jelkić, Ljiljana Milić Marković, Jasna Stojiljković Milić, Zorica Slavković Marjanović and Dušan Janković.
In relation to the other defendants, the court found that there is sufficient evidence for reasonable suspicion that the defendants Nebojša Šurlan, Slobodan Naumović, Milan Jekić, Ljiljana Milić Marković, Jasna Stojiljković Milić, Zorica Slavković Marjanović and Dušan Janković committed the criminal acts that are the subject of the accusation.
Bearing in mind the above-mentioned evidence, from which the above-mentioned conclusion emerges, the court assessed that there are grounds for suspicion that the defendants acted contrary to the regulations, as well as that there were omissions in the execution of works, maintenance of the facility and supervision, which ultimately led to the consequences that are the subject of the accusation.
Namely, the case files indicate that in connection with the performance of the work on the canopy, and especially with the stages of the performance of the work and supervision, there were deviations from the project documentation, omissions in control and inconsistency in the implementation of technical standards, which resulted in a violation of the safety of the facility.
The court, considering all the above, found that these omissions are in a cause-and-effect relationship with the occurrence of harmful consequences, and that at this stage of the procedure, the standard of reasonable doubt for the confirmation of the indictment is met.
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