Serbia’s ruling establishment is facing what analysts describe as its first direct judicial confrontation, as Culture Minister Nikola Selaković is set to appear in court next week over alleged abuses connected to the controversial General Staff complex redevelopment.
According to Vreme weekly, Selaković is expected to stand trial on February 4, following an indictment by the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being widely described as the first court proceeding that directly targets the ruling regime, marking a potentially historic moment in Serbia’s political and legal landscape.
The General Staff Affair
Selaković is accused of manipulating official documents and exerting influence over directors of both the national and Belgrade heritage protection institutes in order to strip the General Staff building of its protected status. The goal, prosecutors allege, was to enable the demolition of the site and allow the construction of luxury apartments, a hotel, and a casino.
The project was initially linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has since withdrawn from the investment.
Aggressive Defense Strategy
Rather than addressing the charges directly, Selaković has launched aggressive verbal attacks, accusing the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office of acting as part of a “coup” orchestrated by unnamed “centers of power.” He has also labeled critics as “blockaders,” suggesting the trial is politically motivated.
President Aleksandar Vučić has offered unwavering public support to his minister, openly stating that he would grant Selaković amnesty and even expressing a desire to personally sit in the defendant’s seat to confront the accusations.
Such statements come despite previous testimony from Dubravka Đukanović, former director of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, who confirmed to Vreme that she was personally pressured in the presence of President Vučić to revoke the General Staff’s protected status.
“The Regime Knows What Is Coming”
Belgrade lawyer Jovan Rajić told Vreme that Selaković faces very specific criminal allegations, yet has chosen attack as a defense strategy, while Vučić demonstrates political force by standing firmly behind him.
“The more important the figure within the ruling party, the fiercer the defense,” Rajić said. “That is because they know more and can cause greater damage if they speak. This is how every mafia structure operates.”
Legal scholar and former politician Bojan Pajtić, a professor at the Faculty of Law in Novi Sad, said the trial represents a sobering moment for the ruling elite.
“A regime that believed it would last forever has, through this case, caught a glimpse of its definitive and inglorious end,” Pajtić said. “People are no longer afraid.”
Crackdown on Heritage Protection Experts
The new issue of Vreme also features an interview with Nemanja Smičiklas, a longtime conservator-restorer and newly appointed lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Arts, who spent three decades working at the Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments (RZZSK).
Smičiklas warned that the government is preparing retaliation against heritage experts who refused to cooperate with political pressure.
“Every single professional in that institution took a clear stand in defense of Serbia’s cultural heritage,” he said. “For that resistance, they are now being punished.”
He cautioned that dismantling the heritage protection system would open the door to widespread destruction of cultural landmarks, enabling their transfer or sale to private investors.
A Turning Point
Observers say the Selaković case could become a watershed moment, not only for Serbia’s judiciary but also for accountability within the political system.
As Vreme concludes, this trial may be only the beginning, with far broader consequences for those who believed power would shield them indefinitely.
