Police raided the University of Belgrade Rectorate on Tuesday following the unexplained death of a student, as authorities sought evidence of alleged negligence. The move came amid accusations by government officials targeting university staff who have supported ongoing student protests.
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade requested the raid by the Anti-Corruption Department of the Criminal Police Directorate after a 25-year-old female student fell from a fifth-floor window at the Faculty of Philosophy on the night of March 26. Servers and other equipment storing surveillance footage were seized.
The timing of the raid has fueled suspicions, given Serbia’s ongoing political tensions. Over the past year, students have staged anti-government protests, and officials have repeatedly signaled intentions to limit faculties’ legal autonomy. Some government figures have directly blamed senior university staff for the student’s death.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated that the seizure was conducted under suspicion of criminal offenses, including negligence and abuse of official position.
The University of Belgrade, however, contested the action, asserting that items unrelated to the case were confiscated. “The University respects the law and cooperates fully with the authorities. However, our openness and willingness to cooperate to establish the truth are being misused,” the institution said in a statement. It also condemned what it described as a “shameless campaign” by pro-government tabloids.
Following the news of the student’s death, pro-government media outlets, including Informer, launched a concerted effort to discredit Rector Vladan Djokic and Faculty of Philosophy Dean Danijel Sinani. The outlets suggested the university leadership was responsible for inadequate security. One headline echoed a slogan previously used by student protesters: “Djokic and Sinani – your hands are bloody.”
Education Minister Dejan Vuk Stankovic reinforced these claims on public broadcaster RTS, arguing that the ministry must “take over the baton” in managing faculties from negligent deans to ensure student safety. Stankovic described the tragedy as “the culmination of ongoing politicisation of higher education by part of the academic elite led by Rector Djokic.”
Rector Djokic responded by calling the police action an “attack on the university,” characterizing the authorities as treating the institution as a political opponent. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic has similarly accused university leaders of bearing responsibility for the incident.
Opposition MP and University of Belgrade professor Djordje Pavicevic cautioned against linking the student movement to the tragedy. “There is no causal connection between the student protests over the past year and this incident,” Pavicevic told Beta news agency.
The EU’s ambassador to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, urged all parties to avoid politicising the tragedy. He also called on media outlets to exercise respect in their coverage of the case.
