Exactly 20 months after the catastrophic concrete canopy collapse at the Novi Sad railway station that claimed 16 lives, the Basic Court in Pančevo has issued a criminal verdict—not against the public officials responsible for the structural failure, but against a prominent student activist.
On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the court found student leader Andrej Tanko guilty of “obstructing an official in the performance of their duty.” Tanko was sentenced to a six-month conditional house arrest, a penalty that will not be executed unless he commits another offense within the next two years. The sentence also factors in the three months Tanko already spent in custody during the investigative phase.
The defense has repeatedly denounced the trial as a coordinated, politically motivated attempt to stifle dissent and dismantle the growing student movement.
A Tale of Two Judgments: Activists vs. The State
The legal outcome sparked immediate outrage among student organizations and civil rights groups. Activists quickly drew a sharp contrast between the rapid prosecution of peaceful protesters and the total lack of judicial accountability for the deadly November 1, 2024, railway station collapse.
“After 20 months, we finally have a court verdict, but of course, it is not for the people responsible for the collapse of the canopy,” stated student activist Kosta Golubović during a live broadcast on N1 Belgrade. “Instead, it is for Andreja Tanka, who dared to fight against corruption and injustice.”
Golubović accused the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) framework of weaponizing the judiciary to induce fear.
- State Intimidation: “It is entirely expected that this regime is so deeply invested in hiding the blood it is responsible for that it is ready to pull every possible measure out of the book to terrify citizens,” Golubović noted. “They want to force people back to their homes and make them act as if nothing happened.”
- Civic Resilience: He added that despite state pressure, the public has not forgotten the tragedy, declaring, “The light at the end of the tunnel is that in every city, this flame does not go out. Citizens remain ready to continue this struggle.”
Commemorative Walks Mark 20 Months of Impunity
The legal development coincided with widespread, solemn demonstrations across Serbia marking 20 months since the disaster.
In Novi Sad, several hundred citizens gathered at 8:00 PM at the busy intersection near the Futoška market. The crowd marched in a silent commemorative procession down Liberation Boulevard toward the central railway station. Upon arrival, the demonstrators held a 16-minute period of absolute silence—one minute for each of the victims who died on November 1, 2024.
Simultaneously, a sister rally was held in the southern city of Niš. Organizers there emphasized that holding the monthly vigils is a moral imperative to keep the pressure on the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“Remembering is not a political burden—it is a debt we owe to those who are no longer with us,” a speaker at the Niš assembly reminded the crowd, as student leaders vowed to continue blocking university faculties and gathering on the first of every month until institutional justice is served.
