# Dismissal and indictment of Dr Tatjana Adžić Vukičević

Category: Persecution  
Period: from Jun 2025  
Outcome: No one investigated (as of 16 Sep 2026)  

Pulmonologist Tatjana Adžić Vukičević, who ran the Covid hospital in Batajnica and was decorated by President Vučić, was removed in 2025 as head of a department at the University Clinical Centre of Serbia after publicly backing the student movement, and she says that support is exactly why. In February 2026 the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade charged her with a serious offence against human health over the treatment of a patient who died in 2021; she maintains that procedures were followed. According to her, the Court of Appeal overturned the confirmation of the indictment, but in September 2026 she was still suspended from work.

## Covid hospital in Batajnica

Tatjana Adžić Vukičević, a pulmonologist and associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, ran the Covid hospital in Batajnica from December 2020, which treated more than 20,000 patients. In 2021 President Aleksandar Vučić awarded her the Order of the Star of Karađorđe.

## Dismissed after backing students

Adžić Vukičević publicly supported the student movement. On 30 June 2025 she was removed as head of a department at the Clinic for Pulmonology of the University Clinical Centre of Serbia, which she had led since 2011, and moved to a junior doctor's post. According to her, she was dismissed for supporting the students; she had earlier refused several times to back Vučić in elections and was removed from national expert commissions.

The student plenum named the UKCS director, Jelena Drulović, as the person who ordered the dismissal; no response from the UKCS or the director has been found.

## Indictment over a patient's death

The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade indicted Adžić Vukičević on 6 February 2026 for a serious crime against public health, which carries two to 12 years, over the treatment of a patient who died in May 2021. The criminal complaint was not filed until April 2024. On the same day she was removed from her posts at the UKCS and at the faculty.

She says all procedures were followed and that only three witnesses were heard in the investigation, none of them from the hospital. Colleagues spoke of political retaliation.

## Still suspended from work

According to her, the Court of Appeal on 20 July 2026 overturned the decision by which the Higher Court had confirmed the indictment, so the indictment did not take effect. Even so, in September 2026, after more than seven months, she was still suspended from work. No more recent court decision has been found.

## Participants

- [Jelena Drulović](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/jelena-drulovic): According to the student plenum, as UKCS director she ordered Adžić Vukičević's dismissal over her support for the students (responsible)
- [University Clinical Centre of Serbia](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/ukcs): According to her, it removed her as head of department over her support for the students, and since her suspension it refuses to reinstate her (responsible)
- [Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/medicinski-fakultet-beograd): It suspended her on the day the indictment was filed and, according to her, still refuses to reinstate her seven months later (responsible)
- [Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, Special Department for Combating Corruption](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/vjt-beograd): The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade filed an indictment on 6 February 2026 for a serious offence against human health (investigation and courts)
- [Higher Court in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/visi-sud-beograd): According to her, the court confirmed the indictment, but the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling (investigation and courts)
- [Court of Appeal in Belgrade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/apelacioni-sud-beograd): According to her, on 20 July 2026 it overturned the decision by which the Higher Court had confirmed the indictment (investigation and courts)
- [Students in blockade](https://odgovornost.rs/en/organizacije/studenti-u-blokadi): The student plenum said she was dismissed for supporting the students and named the director of the clinical centre as the one who ordered it (oversight and the public)

## Victims and others harmed

- [Tatjana Adžić Vukičević](https://odgovornost.rs/en/osobe/tatjana-adzic-vukicevic)

## Sources

- [N1: She saved us from Covid, she was good enough when times were hard: Who is the dismissed doctor Tatjana Adžić Vukičević](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/spasavala-nas-od-korone-bila-dobra-dok-je-bilo-tesko-ko-je-smenjena-doktorka-tatjana-adzic-vukicevic/>): 3 Jul 2025
- [Vreme: Faculty of Medicine plenum: Prof. Dr Tatjana Adžić Vukičević dismissed for supporting students](<https://vreme.com/vesti/plenum-medicinskog-zbog-podrske-studentima-smenjena-prof-dr-tatjana-adzic-vukicevic/>): 3 Jul 2025
- [N1: "I will not give up proving my conscientiousness": Tatjana Adžić Vukičević's letter to students about the Higher Public Prosecutor's indictment](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/tatjana-adzic-vukicevic-u-pismu-studentima-o-optuznici-vjt/>): 6 Feb 2026
- [N1: Case against former Covid hospital director: colleagues suspect not a medical error but political retaliation](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/otuznica-tatjana-adzic-vukicevic-politicka-osveta/>): 7 Feb 2026
- [Insajder: After backing the students: dismissals on the Faculty Accreditation Commission and at the Clinic for Pulmonology](<https://www.insajder.net/vesti/nakon-podrske-studentima-smene-u-komisiji-za-akreditaciju-fakulteta-i-na-klinici-za-pulmologiju>): 3 Jul 2025
- [N1: Director of Batajnica COVID hospital indicted over patient's death](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/optuznica-protiv-dirketorke-kovid-bolnice-u-batajnici-tatjane-adzic-vukicevic/>): 6 Feb 2026
- [Novi magazin: Dr Tatjana Adžić Vukičević dismissed for supporting students: "I will fight for what I built honourably"](<https://novimagazin.rs/vesti/356246-smenjena-dr-tatjana-adzic-vukicevic-zbog-podrske-studentima-boricu-se-za-ono-sto-sam-casno-stvarala>): 3 Jul 2025
- [Danas: Faculty of Medicine students: Professor Tatjana Adžić Vukičević dismissed for supporting students](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/tatjana-adzic-vukicevic-studenti-medicinskog-fakulteta-profesorka-smenjena-zbog-podrske-studentima/>): 3 Jul 2025
- [N1: Department head at UCC Serbia dismissed after supporting students and criticising the minister](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/smenjen-nacelnik-u-ukc-srbija-posle-podrske-studentima-i-kritikovanja-ministra/>): 23 Dec 2024
- [Vreme: Department head Vladimir Dugalić dismissed for supporting student protests](<https://vreme.com/vesti/zbog-podrske-studentskim-protestima-smenjen-nacelnik-vladimir-dugalic/>): 27 Dec 2024
- [Nova.rs: Head of Batajnica COVID hospital indicted: woman died due to negligent treatment](<https://nova.rs/vesti/hronika/podignuta-optuznica-protiv-rukovodioca-kovid-bolnice-u-batajnici-zena-preminula-zbog-nesavesnog-lecenja/>): 6 Feb 2026
- [Danas: Dr Tatjana Adžić Vukićević indicted over patient's death during COVID](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/optuznica-protiv-dr-tatjane-adzic-vukicevic-zbog-smrti-pacijentkinje-za-vreme-kovida/>): 6 Feb 2026
- [Danas: Former Covid hospital director on the indictment: I will not give up on proving my conscientiousness](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/bivsa-direktorka-kovid-bolnice-o-optuznici-necu-se-predati-u-dokazivanju-svoje-savesnosti/>): 6 Feb 2026
- [021.rs: Former COVID hospital director indicted over patient's death during the pandemic](<https://www.021.rs/info/srbija/434427/optuznica-protiv-bivse-direktorke-kovid-bolnice-za-smrt-pacijentkinje-tokom-korone>): 7 Feb 2026
- [Insajder: Students publish a message from Tatjana Adžić Vukičević: "I will not give up on proving my conscientiousness"](<https://www.insajder.net/vesti/studenti-objavili-poruku-tatjane-adzic-vukicevic-necu-se-predati-u-dokazivanju-svoje-savesnosti>): 6 Feb 2026
- [Nova.rs: Professor and doctor Tatjana Adžić refused reinstatement even though the court annulled the indictment against her](<https://nova.rs/vesti/drustvo/profesorku-tanju-adzic-odbijaju-da-vrate-na-posao>): 16 Sep 2026
- [Danas: Professor Tatjana Adžić Vukičević not reinstated at the Faculty of Medicine; Court of Appeal overturns Higher Court ruling](<https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/profesorka-tatjana-adzic-vukicevic-nije-vracena-na-medicinski-fakultet-apelacioni-sud-ukinuo-resenje-viseg-suda/>): 16 Sep 2026
- [N1: Dr Adžić-Vukičević: Appeals court quashed the indictment, UKCS and the Faculty of Medicine refuse to take me back](<https://n1info.rs/vesti/dr-adzic-vukicevic-apelacija-ukinula-optuznicu-ukcs-i-medicinski-odbijaju-da-me-vrate-na-posao/>): 16 Sep 2026
- [Nova.rs: Dozens of doctors and Faculty of Medicine professors removed from clinic leadership posts in a year and a half: support for the student movement cost them their positions](<https://nova.rs/vesti/drustvo/lekari-smenjeni-za-godinu-i-po-dana-zbog-podrske-studentima>): 15 Oct 2026

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Source: Odgovornost, https://odgovornost.rs/en/afere/tatjana-adzic-vukicevic  
As of: 4 Nov 2026  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en)