Trial for Murder of Ivan Aleksic: A Cocaine Debt and an Order by Text
Nikola Babic (21) is on trial for the aggravated murder of Ivan Aleksic, claiming he fired while drugged and partly withdrawing the confession he earlier gave to prosecutors.
- Nikola Babic (21) is on trial for the aggravated murder of Ivan Aleksic (24).
- The proceedings opened at the Higher Court in Belgrade in late May.
- The defendant has partly withdrawn the confession he gave to prosecutors.
- The stated motive is a cocaine debt, with the order arriving by text message.
The trial of Nikola Babic (21), charged with the aggravated murder of Ivan Aleksic (24), has begun at the Higher Court in Belgrade. The crime took place in the city centre, on Gavrila Principa Street, and the proceedings opened in late May. At the start, the defendant said he was sorry, but then partly withdrew the confession he had earlier given to prosecutors.
Before the court, Babic claimed he had no intention to kill, saying he fired at random because, as he put it, he was drugged. According to the prosecution, the motive lies in a cocaine debt. The defendant had remained in debt to people who provided him with an apartment and food, the gun was given to him to keep, and the order to fire, according to the allegations, reached him by text message just before he found himself in front of the cafe.
What does the prosecution charge the defendant with?
The prosecution charges Babic with aggravated murder, while the case against a minor accomplice, identified by initials, is being handled separately. Another person injured in the same event is on the run, and a warrant has been issued for him.
Partly withdrawing a confession is a common defence tactic, especially when a defendant tries to present an aggravated murder as conduct without intent. The difference between a cold-blooded order and unplanned shooting is legally enormous, because it decides whether the sentence will be near the maximum.
How important will the testimony about the order be?
The key question for the court will be whether the murder was planned and ordered, or whether this was violence that spiraled out of control. If it is proven that the order really came from outside, it opens a trail toward those who issued it, and not only toward the young man who pulled the trigger.
The trial is only entering the evidence stage, so witness testimony and forensic findings will decide how much of the defence version holds up. Do you think the story of an order by text message can change the course of this case?
