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Serbian prosecutors filed an updated indictment Tuesday against 13 people, including a former construction minister, over a railway station roof collapse that killed 16 people in Novi Sad in 2024 and ignited mass anti-government protests.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad said the defendants, among them former minister Goran Vesic, face charges of “serious crimes against public safety.”
Prosecutors allege the station was put into use while construction was still underway and without the necessary permit.
The indictment also cites failure to maintain the building and criminal offenses committed during the design and execution of the station’s renovation.
“Aware of the significance of these proceedings, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad employed all available human and material resources to establish the complete factual situation,” the court said.
The case now goes before the Higher Court in Novi Sad for confirmation. The previous indictment filed in December was returned in April for clarification.
Vesic, who resigned after the tragedy, has been undergoing hospital treatment for more than a month.
The roof collapse at the newly renovated station in Serbia’s second-largest city quickly became a symbol of corruption and mismanagement.
Protests that began with demands for accountability soon escalated into calls for early elections.
Months of demonstrations, including university shutdowns, have shaken President Aleksandar Vucic’s rule.
Protesters accuse his Serbian Progressive Party of fostering corruption, maintaining ties to organized crime, tolerating violence against rivals, and curbing media freedoms. Vucic, in power for 13 years, denies the allegations.
The Belgrade prosecutor’s office, specializing in organized crime and corruption, is leading a separate investigation into 13 people, including Vesic and his predecessor as construction minister, Tomislav Momirovic.
In March, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a third probe into potential misuse of EU funds during the station’s reconstruction.
Those indicted also include Jelena Tanaskovic, acting director of Serbian Railways Infrastructure at the time; Anita Dimovski, then acting assistant construction minister; and Nebojsa Surlan, director of Serbian Railways Infrastructure during the renovation.
Other indictees are representatives of design firms, contractors and technical supervisors.
The prosecutor’s office said it had complied with the court’s earlier requests and completed a supplementary investigation.
Several defendants were released or placed under house arrest after the initial indictment was returned.
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