Serbian prosecutors have dropped the criminal case against nine young people in Novi Sad after courts excluded evidence obtained unlawfully. The decision prompted student activists to call for answers about the surveillance and treatment of those who faced charges.
The Serbian Times reported that prosecutors concluded the remaining evidence was insufficient to proceed. In a separate statement after the decision, students asked who would be held accountable for the way the case was handled.
Courts Exclude Evidence in the Novi Sad Case
The case turned on whether prosecutors could rely on the evidence gathered during the investigation. After the courts ruled that some of it had been obtained unlawfully and excluded it, prosecutors reviewed what remained.
They determined that the remaining evidence was insufficient to continue the prosecution. The decision brought the criminal proceedings against all nine to an end.
Students Call for Accountability Over Surveillance
Student activists focused their response on what happened before the charges were dropped. They called for answers about who authorized the surveillance and how the nine young people were treated during the proceedings.
Their statement also raised questions about how the defendants were portrayed publicly while the case was pending. Students called for accountability over those actions as well as the handling of the investigation.
