Court Orders 30-Day Detention for Karaburma Murder Suspects

The pretrial judge at the Belgrade Higher Court has ordered up to 30 days in detention for three people charged over a killing in Karaburma. The ruling was issued on August 6, 2026, with detention ordered on all four grounds under Article 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code. We previously reported on this case when the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office requested detention and the suspects chose to remain silent before the prosecutor.

The accused are M. S. (32) from Subotica, M. Dj. (40) from Novi Sad and M. K. (30) from Kanjiza. They are charged with aggravated murder committed jointly and for financial gain against a 73-year-old grocery store owner, killed in his own apartment.

The Belgrade Higher Court laid out the grounds for the decision in a statement.

Detention has been ordered on the legal grounds set out in Article 211, paragraph 1, points 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The court cited circumstances pointing to a risk of flight, specific circumstances suggesting the accused would obstruct proceedings by influencing witnesses, and the danger that they would reoffend within a short period. Having all four grounds apply at once is uncommon even in aggravated murder cases.

What happened on the evening of August 2

The killing took place in the evening hours of August 2, 2026, in an apartment in Karaburma. According to information from the investigation, the victim was tied to a bed with shoelaces, then thrown to the floor, with a cloth pushed into his mouth. The cause of death is listed as suffocation.

The body of Radivoje G. (73) was found lying face down, with a belt beside him and the cloth deep in his mouth. The victim was well known in the neighborhood and owned several grocery stores.

How much money was taken from the apartment?

About 11,000 euros was taken from a safe in the apartment. That amount is also the basis for classifying the crime as murder committed for financial gain, which carries a harsher sentencing range than ordinary murder.

All three suspects were arrested in the area around Subotica, where part of the money from the apartment was recovered. They exercised their right to remain silent before the prosecutor, so the case file so far contains no account of events from their side.

Timeline of the case

• August 2, evening: killing in the Karaburma apartment
• August 3: body found tied up, safe empty
• August 5: three suspects remain silent before the prosecutor, prosecution requests detention
• August 6: court orders up to 30 days in detention on all four grounds

The 30-day period is a deadline for the prosecution, not for the defense. During that time, forensic results are expected along with witness questioning, and the court will rule on any extension before the detention period runs out. Because the accused have stayed silent, the weight of the evidence will fall on the autopsy findings, traces in the apartment and the trail of money to Subotica.

None of the accused has been found guilty of anything. Until a final verdict, they are presumed innocent.