Thirteen people, including a former government minister, have been charged following the collapse of a train station roof in Serbia last month, which killed 15 people and sparked a wave of anti-government protests.
The public prosecutor in Novi Sad, where the incident occurred, has accused the defendants of endangering public safety and violating construction regulations. If convicted, they could face prison sentences of up to 12 years.
The tragedy occurred on 1 November, when a massive concrete roof at the station gave way. The building had undergone two recent renovations as part of a multimillion-euro infrastructure agreement with Chinese firms. Critics claim shoddy construction and corruption were behind the deadly collapse.
Prime Minister Miloš Vu?evi? said the charges prove that authorities are committed to uncovering the truth, stating, “Nobody is hiding or obstructing anything.”
However, opposition figures and protesters have dismissed the indictment as insufficient. Borislav Novakovi?, a prominent opposition politician, called it a “legal charade,” adding, “The charges fail to address the corruption that’s at the heart of this tragedy.”
Public anger spills onto the streets
The collapse has triggered near-daily protests across the country, with university students leading calls for accountability.
On Monday, demonstrators in Belgrade blocked traffic and observed a 15-minute silence at 11:52 a.m.—the exact time the roof gave way. In Novi Sad, protests turned tense, with reports of clashes between students and police.
Student groups plan further protests on New Year’s Eve, highlighting the continued public outrage over what many see as a systemic failure of governance.
Pressure mounts on Vu?i?
The fallout from the collapse has piled pressure on President Aleksandar Vu?i?, whose populist administration has faced growing accusations of eroding democratic freedoms and tolerating corruption.
While Vu?i? has positioned Serbia as a candidate for European Union membership, critics argue that incidents like this underline the lack of transparency and accountability in his government.
The protests show no sign of subsiding, with public anger directed not just at those involved in the renovations but at the wider system enabling corruption and mismanagement.
