# Attack on students outside the SNS offices in Novi Sad Category: Violence against citizens Period: from 28 Jan 2025 Outcome: Complaint dismissed or proceedings halted (as of 12 Oct 2026) On the night of 27 to 28 January 2025, two groups of students putting up stickers calling for a protest were attacked in Novi Sad. According to the indictment, the first group was attacked by people who came out of the SNS offices, and the second by four defendants with sticks and kicks; one female student's jaw was broken. Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned, and four SNS activists were charged. President Aleksandar Vučić pardoned them before the trial ended, so the Basic Court dismissed the charges and guilt was never established. ## Two attacks on students On the night of 27 to 28 January 2025, two groups of students putting up stickers calling for a protest on 1 February were attacked in Novi Sad. According to the indictment, people who came out of the SNS offices on Bulevar oslobođenja first attacked students from the Faculty of Medicine, and then four defendants attacked students from the Academy of Arts with sticks and kicks near the Petőfi Sándor primary school; one female student's jaw was broken, and one male student was lightly injured. ## Resignations, arrests and charges The same day, Prime Minister and SNS president Miloš Vučević resigned, citing “objective responsibility”, as did Novi Sad mayor Milan Đurić. Police arrested four SNS activists, and in March the prosecutor's office charged them with grievous bodily harm and violent behaviour. ## Pressure on the court In May, Vučević and President Aleksandar Vučić announced a blockade of the court until the defendants were released, and Vučić published their names with the message “Freedom for the heroes”. On 2 June, the Higher Court lifted their custody. ## Pardon and charges dismissed On 2 July 2025, before the trial ended, Vučić pardoned all four, and on 15 July the Basic Court dismissed the charges and referred the victims to civil proceedings. Guilt was never established. The Ministry of Justice refuses to publish the pardon proposal; constitutional complaints and an application to the European Court of Human Rights are awaiting a decision. ## Participants - [Aleksandar Vučić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/aleksandar-vucic): He pardoned the four defendants in the attack before the trial ended, having earlier backed the blockade of the court with the message “Freedom for the heroes” (responsible) - [Miloš Vučević](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/milos-vucevic): As SNS president, he announced a blockade of the court until the four defendants in the attack were released from custody (responsible) - [Milan Đurić](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/milan-djuric): He resigned the same day, together with Prime Minister Vučević (commented on the case) - [Serbian Progressive Party](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/sns): Through its president, Vučević, it announced a blockade of the court in Novi Sad until its activists charged with attacking the students were released (responsible) - [Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ministarstvo-pravde): According to the injured parties' lawyers, the minister proposed the pardon; the ministry refused to release the proposal and the documents even after the Commissioner ordered it to (responsible) - [Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/mup-srbije): It arrested the four suspects and opened disciplinary proceedings against a police officer who allegedly photographed them (investigation and courts) - [Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ojt-novi-sad): It sought detention because of the risk of witness tampering and filed an indictment for violent behaviour and grievous bodily harm (investigation and courts) - [Basic Court in Novi Sad](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/osnovni-sud-novi-sad): It presided over the trial, at which the defendants denied guilt, and after the pardon dismissed the charges without any finding of guilt (investigation and courts) - [Higher Court in Novi Sad](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/visi-sud-novi-sad): It lifted detention for three of them and replaced it for the fourth with house arrest under electronic monitoring (investigation and courts) - [Constitutional Court of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ustavni-sud): Two constitutional appeals against the case being ended by a pardon are pending, with no set deadline (investigation and courts) - [European Court of Human Rights](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/esljp): An application was lodged with it over the pardon, citing the prohibition of torture (investigation and courts) - [National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/narodna-skupstina): It did not formally acknowledge Miloš Vučević's resignation until 19 March 2025 (oversight and the public) - [Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/poverenik): He ordered the Ministry of Justice to hand over the pardon proposal and issued a misdemeanour penalty order (oversight and the public) - [Belgrade Centre for Human Rights](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/bcljp): Together with lawyers, he filed a constitutional complaint and an application to the European Court and sought the pardon documents (oversight and the public) ## Sources - [021.rs: 021 reveals: What the indictment against the "SNS heroes" pardoned by Vučić says](): 4 Jul 2025 - [N1: Who are the “heroes” whose release Vučić and Vučević are calling for: they dislocated a young woman's jaw with bats, and the government fell because of them](): 20 May 2025 - [Vreme: What does the indictment against the “SNS heroes” pardoned by Vučić say?](): 4 Jul 2025 - [Istinomer: None of the SNS activists who attacked a student in Novi Sad is on the party's electoral list](): 12 Oct 2026 - [Insajder: Interior Ministry: Four suspects arrested over attack on students in Novi Sad](): 28 Jan 2025 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Prosecutors seek detention for attackers of students in Novi Sad](): 29 Jan 2025 - [N1: Miloš Vučević resigns](): 28 Jan 2025 - [021.rs: One year since students were beaten: the Novi Sad “SNS heroes” brought down Miloš Vučević's government](): 28 Jan 2026 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Custody lifted for defendants in attack on students in Novi Sad](): 2 Jun 2025 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Trial halted for the indicted attackers of students pardoned by Vučić](): 15 Jul 2025 - [Insajder: Trial over attack on students in Novi Sad begins: accused SNS activists stay silent in court (VIDEO)](): 28 May 2025 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Student whose jaw was broken identifies one of her attackers in Novi Sad court](): 28 May 2025 - [N1: Beljanski: Only the SNS cameras weren't working when the students were attacked, that is completely unbelievable](): 29 May 2025 - [021.rs: Vučić pardons “SNS heroes” charged with breaking a Novi Sad student's jaw](): 3 Jul 2025 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Hearing postponed in baseball bat attack on students in Novi Sad](): 16 Jun 2025 - [Radio Slobodna Evropa: Vučić pardons those responsible for the attack on students that brought down the government](): 3 Jul 2025 - [N1: Charges dismissed in case of SNS activists who broke a student's jaw in Novi Sad](): 15 Jul 2025 - [021.rs: Possible damages lawsuit against the “SNS heroes” who beat students in Novi Sad](): 14 Nov 2025 - [021.rs: Constitutional complaint over Vučić's pardon of the “SNS heroes”: The hallmarks of a self-pardon](): 9 Sep 2025 - [021.rs: Police officer faces dismissal over photo of the “SNS heroes” pardoned by Vučić](): 29 Jan 2026 - [N1: Danas: Justice minister covers for Vučić's pardon of SNS thugs](): 19 Jan 2026 - [021.rs: Ministry hides documents on Vučić's pardon of the “SNS heroes” who beat students in Novi Sad](): 22 Nov 2025 - [N1: Ministry refuses to release documents on the pardon of four SNS activists](): 12 Feb 2026 - [021.rs: Lawyer on Vučević's statement about the broken jaw: malicious, forensic examination proved multiple serious injuries](): 6 Jul 2026 - [N1: The Ana Vučak case: from “objective responsibility” to downplaying violence against a student](): 4 Jul 2026 - [Nova.rs: Two people arrested over attack on young man in Novi Sad; Pogačar claims Vučić pardoned one of them](): 31 Oct 2026 - [Danas: Young man beaten outside Spens in Novi Sad: two suspects arrested, search on for a third](): 31 Oct 2026 --- Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/novi-sad-napad-na-studente As of: 4 Nov 2026 Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)