Mateja Nikolić, a student at the Faculty of Law in Niš, signed a plea agreement for a crime he did not commit in order to avoid detention. The higher court rejected that agreement with the explanation that there is no criminal offense
Although he is a student of the Faculty of Law in They are not Mateja Nikolić, who was arrested on March 21 after a meeting of the Serbian Progressive Party in that city, signed an agreement on the recognition of the alleged criminal offense in order to be released from custody, Viši South he refused that agreement because there is no criminal offense, so Nikolić is cleared of all suspicion.
After his arrest, Nikolić signed a confession agreement, i.e. the alleged attack on the mayor of Niš, Dragoslav Pavlović, and the head of the Communal Militia, Dejan Kovačević, but the High Court rejected that agreement, and no appeal is allowed against the court's decision, writes Južne vesti.
"The court is the one that evaluates the legality of the agreement and whether it wants to approve it. The higher court made a decision and the explanation states that there are no elements of a criminal offense and that the evidence submitted does not support the allegations of the indictment itself. Therefore, the court does not accept the conclusion of the agreement," said Mateja Nikolić for Južne vesti.
Suspected of violence, abuse and torture
His detention was lifted after he confessed to the crime, so he also had a restraining order against Pavlović and Kovačević.
He was charged with the crimes of "violent behavior at a sports event or public gathering" and "abuse and torture."
"Neither did I commit violence against the mayor Dragoslav Pavlović, nor did I abuse and torture the head of the municipal utility, Dejan Kovačević," Nikolić points out.
He is the author of the video showing citizens throwing eggs and pouring water on Mayor Pavlović on March 21.
When he was taken to Niš police station that evening, students, citizens and opposition councilors and deputies gathered and demanded his release for hours.
Don't sign if you're not guilty.
Although lawyers advise that one should not sign any confession of guilt when there is actually no basis for a lawsuit, people who are detained by the police without reason and asked to sign such a confession are afraid and follow the instructions of the police.
This was also the case during the mass arrest of demonstrators in front of the Belgrade Assembly in December 2023, at a protest over suspected theft in local elections.
Despite the fact that it was clearly visible on the videos that only a few people were breaking the windows at the Parliament of Belgrade, the police arrested more than 30 citizens.
The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade then announced that seven people had pleaded guilty. After the Prosecution's proposal, the Court then ordered detention for up to 30 days for the four suspects.
In March, two men suspected of attacking the assistant to the president of the Municipality of Obrenovac concluded a plea agreement with the High Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.
OR (60) and TK (46) concluded agreements on the recognition of the criminal offense of violent behavior at a sports event or public gathering. According to the agreement, the OR recognized the crime for a conditional sentence of six months in prison with a probationary period of three years and a fine of 50.000 dinars, it was added. TK admitted the crime for a conditional prison sentence of four months with a probationary period of two years and a fine of 30.000 dinars.
In March, the two suspects in the destruction of the tractor near Pionirski Park also confessed to the crime, and two more people were detained and released due to lack of evidence.
Suspects AD and AT concluded agreements on the recognition of the criminal offense of violent behavior at a sports event or public gathering.
The suspect AD admitted the criminal offense for a conditional prison sentence of six months with a two-year probationary period and a fine of 30.000 dinars.
At the beginning of June, as many as 18 people were detained for the alleged attack on Miloš Pavlović, a "student who wants to study", and the plea agreement was concluded by LT (20) and NJ (23). Because of this, they received a prison sentence of eight months, suspended for two years. Custody was requested for the three interrogated persons, AN (26), TS (23) and DM (25).
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