Courtroom Drama: Serbian Rail Tragedy Sparks Calls for Justice

Thirteen individuals, including a former Serbian minister, have been indicted over a deadly railway station roof collapse. The disaster provoked mass protests, challenging President Aleksandar Vucic's government. Protesters attribute the tragedy to corruption and demand early elections. The court's decision on the indictment is still pending.

In a significant legal move, a Serbian prosecutor has indicted 13 people, including a former minister, after a catastrophic railway station roof collapse last year resulted in 16 fatalities. The incident has fueled widespread anti-government demonstrations across the nation.

The charges, filed by the prosecutor's office in Novi Sad, accuse the former construction, infrastructure, and transport minister Goran Vesic and others of endangering public safety. Allegedly, they allowed the station building to be used despite ongoing construction and a lack of proper permits. Additional accusations highlight negligence in structural maintenance and misconduct during renovation phases.

The deadly collapse and the subsequent indictment have spurred months of protests, with demonstrators calling for early elections. They assert that President Aleksandar Vucic's government, long in power, is marred by corruption, organized crime ties, and media suppression. While Vucic refutes these claims, the protestors' demands have placed significant pressure on his administration.

(With inputs from agencies.)