Detainees Charged in Novi Sad Canopy Collapse Have Detention Extended

(Patria) - The Higher Court in Novi Sad has extended the house arrest and detention of those charged in the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy, the court confirmed to RSE.

The court extended the detention for ten defendants by another 30 days, while the former director of the public enterprise "Serbian Railways Infrastructure," Jelena Tanasković, and the former Assistant Minister of Construction, Anita Dimoski, had their house arrest extended for three months.

The former Minister of Construction, Goran Vesić, is defending himself from freedom, as the court accepted his lawyer's appeal and lifted his detention after a few days.

The indictment against 13 individuals was filed at the end of 2024 on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of a grave act against public safety.

In the collapse of the concrete canopy of the reconstructed Novi Sad railway station on November 1, 2024, 16 people were killed, and one was seriously injured.

Following the accident, a wave of protests and blockades swept across Serbia. The protests are led by students demanding accountability from the authorities for the accident.

They demand the publication of complete documentation regarding the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station, as well as the prosecution of those responsible for attacks on students during blockades, citizens, and activists during protests and vigils for those killed in the canopy collapse.

The authorities, led by the Serbian Progressive Party and President Aleksandar Vučić, condemn the protests and claim that all student demands have been met.

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad also announced on February 3 that it is conducting checks to determine if there was any corruption during the reconstruction of the railway station.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed in mid-March that it is conducting an investigation into possible misuse of European Union funds in connection with the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station.