4. Novi Sad Court Blockade
Opposition MPs and activists blockaded the entrances to the court and prosecutor’s offices in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad, demanding a thorough investigation into the November 1 tragedy.
The blockades persisted for several days and were met with police force, despite the protesters being members of the Parliament (MPs) with parliamentary immunity. They claimed that the entire court system of Serbia was already blocked and not doing its job, so they decided to physically block it as well.
They demanded the release of arrested protesters and the arrest of those responsible for the deaths of the 15 people. Additionally, they called for the detained former Minister of Construction, Goran Vesić, who had resigned from his position, to be denied the right to defend himself while at liberty.
They also demanded justice for a senior protester (74) who was brutally beaten by the police, resulting in doctors having to amputate one of his testicles.
Members of the opposition were heard yelling at police officers who were physically attacking them: “Haven’t you had enough bloodshed?”.
On November 27th, members of the ruling coalition in Serbia passed 34 laws in one day, including the 2025 Budget Law, the final account for the previous year, and a law allowing the construction of nuclear power plants. These laws were adopted without debate, which was blocked the previous day by the Speaker of the Assembly, following incidents between the ruling coalition MPs and opposition members. Some suggest it may have been intended to shift media attention away from growing outcry over the Novi Sad tragedy.
Vesić Released From Custody — No Substantial Evidence
Goran Vesić, arrested following the Novi Sad tragedy, began a hunger and thirst strike after being detained for 30 days, signaling his resistance to taking criminal responsibility. His party colleagues defended him, claiming the prosecution was part of a political plot. Meanwhile, the Serbian Assembly stripped Vesić of his immunity for prosecution. President Aleksandar Vučić expressed support for Vesić, calling him a friend and questioning the detention decision, stating that Vesić had not attempted to hide or influence witnesses.
The court released Goran Vesić from detention after only 6 days, citing insufficient evidence to link his actions to the tragedy. The prosecutor failed to prove a reasonable connection between Vesić’s omissions and the incident.
Former director of Serbian Railways Infrastructure, Nebojša Šurlan’s detention has been extended for 30 days.
5. Erasing Evidence to Avoid Accountability
In a shocking response, officials swiftly removed all evidence of the canopy collapse from the site just hours after the incident, erasing crucial proof that could have shed light on construction flaws. Key evidence—including the canopy and pillars—was discarded at Novi Sad’s marshalling yard and dismissed as mere debris, according to MP Marinika Tepić. At the same time, state officials started claiming the canopy hadn’t been part of the renovation, directly contradicting prior information. The government attempted to shift blame to outdated construction from 60 years ago during the era of Yugoslavia’s leader Tito, despite evidence that the canopy had undergone renovations.
Chinese Contractor and Railways of Serbia Claim the Canopy Was Not Reconstructed
The contractor for the station’s reconstruction, Chinese consortium CRIC-CCCC, consisting of China Railway International Co. Ltd. and China Communications Construction Company Ltd., after the incident, claimed that the collapsed concrete canopy, which occurred on November 1, was not part of the reconstruction work and that all work was done according to the approved building permit. Infrastructure Railway of Serbia also confirmed that the canopy was not reconstructed during the process.
Who Was Responsible For Project Supervision?
The Hungarian company Utiber, overseeing the Novi Sad-Subotica railway reconstruction, issued a warning to the contractor CRIC-CCCC, after the station canopy collapse killed 15 and critically injured 2. They said that without access to the 1964 project plans, Utiber couldn’t ensure roof safety and advised halting Wing B operations. Journalists’ attempts to contact Utiber’s Novi Sad office led to denial of affiliation by the respondent.
According to documents obtained by journalists, the French company Egis was actually responsible for supervising the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station building. While the Hungarian firm Utiber was frequently mentioned in public, both officially and unofficially, it was not overseeing this part of the project.
Controversy Surrounding Subcontractor Company “Starting”
“Starting DOO” was one of the subcontractors involved in the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station. A geological engineer, Zoran Đajić, who oversaw stone materials for the project, stated that he had raised concerns about irregularities but was pressured by “Starting” to approve work as they wanted. He found it unusual that he was hired directly by “Starting” rather than the responsible ministry or state railway infrastructure company. The firm overseeing the project, “Utiber,” failed to act on his reports.
“Starting” has secured multiple high-value government contracts since 2014, including work on the University Clinical Center of Serbia, major road infrastructure projects, and the controversial “Belgrade Waterfront” development. The company has financial and ownership ties to firms like “Ras Inženjering,” which has been linked to state-favored contracts. The firm’s involvement in the railway station collapse, which killed 15 people, has raised serious concerns, especially given reports of secretive contracts with Chinese companies and a lack of transparency in oversight.
6. Local Engineers’ Opinions and Analysis
A geological engineer, Zoran Bajić, who worked on the reconstruction of the railway station building in Novi Sad until March 2023 explained that during politicians’ visits, work was rushed to make everything appear in order. “It happened several times that the work we had already completed was torn down and redone a few days after the visits. So, there were several positions where the work was repeated two or three times, and, of course, it was billed two or three times as well.”, he said.
Bajić stated that construction work was indeed performed on the canopy, refuting Minister Vesic’s and CRIC-CCCC’s claims. He emphasizes that in his reports sent to numerous authorities, he recommended removing the marble panels from the building facade to inspect the foundation behind them. He documented instances where concrete was missing, replaced instead by crumpled cement bags to reduce the amount of concrete used. He outlines that the canopy lacked support columns and relied on corroded anchors. He mentions writing reports in early 2023, requesting structural repairs that were ignored. Officials prioritized superficial improvements, such as painting the structure before high-profile visits. He emphasizes that these failures point to negligence by various authorities, including past and current ministers, and expresses regret for not insisting more forcefully on addressing these structural issues.
Civil engineer Andrijana Milovanović pointed out the absence of any licensed engineer for construction, noting the lead designer, who approved the project, only held a license 315, which is for roads and railways.
Milovanović claims regulations were manipulated to favor investors, allowing unqualified individuals to approve projects for a small fee. She stresses the need for a licensed structural engineer with a 310 license for complex calculations, stating that the project lacked proper documentation, including Section 2 of Serbia’s Planning and Construction Law. She believes the canopy was poorly designed and unsupported, suggesting it collapsed due to a sudden overload or interference during reconstruction. Milovanović offered her expertise to investigate the tragedy.
7. Trying to Shift the Blame to the Chinese
A Chinese construction company CRIC-CCCC, heavily contracted by the Serbian government, was responsible not only for the Novi Sad station but also two additional high-risk rail projects in Belgrade and Subotica. They are also building a tunnel through the Fruška gora mountain near Novi Sad. The public, meanwhile, is barred from accessing documentation on these projects, leading many to suspect cover-ups of systemic failings—terrified citizens of the possible future tragedies.
Chinese companies, serving as contractors for the reconstruction of the Novi Sad Railway Station, claimed in June, just before the station’s reopening, that they had “completed the work necessary to ensure the safe movement of passengers” when submitting their request for the handover of Wing B. This statement was later confirmed by a commission established by “Serbian Railway Infrastructure.”
Republic Construction Inspector Identifies Violations
On November 1, the Republic Construction Inspector, an official who oversees compliance with national construction laws and regulations, conducted an on-site investigation following the collapse of the station canopy in Novi Sad, identifying two violations.
First, no measures were taken to prevent or eliminate immediate danger to public safety. Second, there was no quality control of the construction work or adherence to regulations and standards.
As a result, the inspector ordered a ban on using Wing B of the station and mandated the investor (Serbian Railway Infrastructure) and contractor (Chinese company CRIC) to verify the structural stability of the building. This assessment was to be conducted by a third party unconnected to the original project. The parties were given 15 days to comply, and on November 14, Serbian Railway Infrastructure instructed the contractor to carry out the mandated stability check.
The Chinese Respond To The Inspector’s Order
Less than 20 days after the tragedy in Novi Sad, the Chinese contractors, CRIC and CCCC, sent a letter to Serbian Railway Infrastructure, reminding them that they had previously warned about the age of stations along the Novi Sad–Subotica route. They suggested assessing the usability and durability of these stations.
On November 23, the Chinese contractor CRIC responded to an order to verify the Novi Sad station’s structural stability, citing the railway reconstruction contract to the Hungarian border. They referred to Article 61, stating their responsibility ended when the station opened on July 5, marking the handover. Under Article 63, they argued modifications by the supervisory body apply only before handover. CRIC emphasized structural checks were outside the contract’s scope and noted the inspector mandated a third party to perform them. While disputing the order’s validity, they expressed readiness to cooperate with authorities.
Non-existent Occupancy Permits
Serbia’s ongoing reliance on opaque international deals has exacerbated public frustration. Belgrade’s newly built railway station also shows signs of deterioration, pointing to widespread negligence in construction standards and prompting the opposition to demand that independent professionals verify the safety of ongoing projects. The opposition obtained official government documents showing that both the Belgrade railway station and the Novi Sad railway station had been denied occupancy permits. President Vučić was aware of this but concealed it from the public, opening the stations regardless and assuring citizens of their safety.
On January 20th, the Serbian Railway Infrastructure submitted a new request for an operational permit for the station building within the “Belgrade Center” Railway Station complex. In early October, the Ministry of Construction rejected Infrastructure’s initial request for the permit, deeming it incomplete. They submitted the request again, even though no apparent additional work has been done in the meantime.
8. Playing Hide and Seek With the Documentation
A local news portal requested from the Ministry of Transport and SOE “Infrastructure Railways of Serbia” to provide contracts and invoices related to this project. Instead of the documentation, the Ministry replied that they had “contacted the Chinese contractor” who informed them that they “do not agree to share any contract-related data with third parties before the completion of the project or until the confirmation of a job well done.” The Ministry also provided the portal with a letter from the contractor, the Chinese consortium CRIC-CCCC. In the letter, signed by Di Fengzan, a representative of this consortium, it states that they do not agree to share data with third parties, including the portal’s journalist.
The design documentation for the railway renovation in Novi Sad was removed from CEOP. Just hours after the canopy collapse, all documentation was allegedly pulled from the APR CEOP portal, and Serbian engineers no longer have access to it, which is a precedent and illegal.
The vice president of the Freedom and Justice Party and Member of Parliament, Marinika Tepić, asked whether it is true that several hours before the tragedy in Novi Sad, the head of the railway station in the city, was informed that five people had complained about gravel falling from the top of the ceiling above the canopy. Just a day before the tragedy, on October 31, CIP, the company responsible for the station building reconstruction project, took a photograph revealing visible damage on the canopy.
Vučić Gains Access to Sealed Documents
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, presented the documentation for the reconstruction of the railway station and announced its public release. However, according to Stevan Babić, the head of the Kreni-Promeni parliamentary group in the Novi Sad Assembly, the release of this documentation has been officially prohibited by the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure due to the potential threat it poses to the investigation and criminal proceedings.
The Serbia Center Party (SRCE) called on the Supreme Public Prosecutor, Zagorka Dolovac, to clarify how President Aleksandar Vučić obtained the documentation on the reconstruction of the Novi Sad railway station. They questioned why this documentation, which should have been in the Prosecutor’s Office, was accessible to him, who authorized his access, and what actions will be taken in response.
In response to the release of documentation by the Serbian government, the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Belgrade announced in December, following a detailed analysis, that key documents were missing from the released documentation. The same faculty issued a new statement at the end of January highlighting which additional documents are still missing.
Opposition Files Criminal Complaints
Savo Manojlović, a leader of the opposition political party Kreni-Promeni and vocal critic of Serbia’s government headed President Vučić, said: “We filed the first criminal complaint against unknown persons so that the competent prosecutor’s office could determine who the responsible individuals are.” said Manojlović.
“The second criminal complaint is being filed against Aleksandar Vučić, Ana Brnabić, and Miloš Vučević—they are the main generators of corruption in construction.” he continued.
“We conducted a cost analysis. The railway costs €65 million, but based on our calculations, it is impossible for it to cost more than €20 million. The figures are grossly inflated, and this is something happening throughout Serbia. This is the purpose of projects like Expo and the National Stadium, which cost €1 billion, even though a similar stadium in Bilbao cost about €200 million.” Manojlović explained.
He further stated: “This creates an environment of corruption where standards do not have to be respected. The solution does not lie in resignations, as that will not address the deeper problem. Instead, we need to implement the Romanian scenario led by prosecutor Laura Kövesi—everyone from the former or current government who is a generator of corruption must be held accountable.”
