Prosecution: Attack on Dean Sinani Not Politically Motivated

Belgrade’s Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office denied late last night, around 10:30 p.m., claims by some media that the attack on Danijel Sinani, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade, was politically motivated. The statement came a day after the office took over the case from the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade. “There is no indication whatsoever pointing to that,” the prosecution said.

The attack took place on September 11 on Cika Ljubina Street in the Savski Venac municipality. The suspect, identified in the statement only as S. C. (29), allegedly approached Sinani (53) after the dean had withdrawn cash from an ATM, struck him from behind, knocked him to the ground, and then took his wallet with his documents, along with roughly 75,000 dinars and 500 euros. The dean suffered minor injuries. Police later returned 70,590 dinars and 475 euros to him against a signed confirmation.

Half an hour earlier, in the same area, the same suspect is believed to have attacked an eighteen-year-old, V. D., in an identical manner, taking his bag with a wallet, documents, headphones and a phone charger. The younger victim’s arm was broken in that attack, classified as serious bodily injury, and it is that detail which moved the case up to a higher instance: robbery causing serious bodily injury, under Article 206, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, falls under the jurisdiction of the higher public prosecutor’s office, while the attack on the dean, which caused only minor injuries, is being prosecuted under Article 206, paragraph 1 of the same code. The suspect has been remanded for up to 48 hours, after which he will be questioned and a criminal complaint filed against him.

Plenum blames the government for the atmosphere

The prosecution’s denial came on the same day the Academic Plenum stated that while responsibility for the attack itself lies with the perpetrator, “the political responsibility for the atmosphere of aggression lies with Aleksandar Vucic and the government.” The Plenum said the authorities have, for years, publicly branded professors and students as “‘blockaders’, traitors and enemies of the state,” and called for an effective investigation, the establishment of responsibility, and professional conduct by state institutions.

According to the Plenum, President Aleksandar Vucic described the attacker as a minor and cited a wallet as the motive, offering details that were not part of the Interior Ministry (MUP)‘s own statement, while the prosecution’s official information describes a 29 year old suspect. The Plenum also noted that the election campaign has only just begun, and the academic community is already a target.

The prosecution’s statement makes no mention of the president’s remarks, nor does it address the Plenum’s assessment of responsibility for the public atmosphere surrounding the academic community. It rejects only the claim that this particular criminal offense was politically motivated. The two statements, then, are not about the same thing: one concerns the motive for the attack, the other responsibility for the tone of public discourse about professors and students. The prosecution said it would establish all the circumstances of the case during the investigation and inform the public in due course.