Candidates for members of parliament from the Student List “Students Are Winning,” Nemanja \u0110uri\u0107 and lawyers Vladan Man\u010di\u0107 and Stanko Fu\u0161tar, have filed a criminal complaint against Nenad Stefanovi\u0107, Chief Public Prosecutor at the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, on suspicion of abuse of office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the complaint, Stefanovi\u0107 allegedly enabled certain defendants to receive lighter sentences and more favorable legal classifications, and in one case even dropped criminal charges against other suspects. The complainants point to several disputed cases, including some in which the Supreme Court established violations of the law in favor of the defendants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The complaint is based on information concerning the handling of several criminal cases in which defendants were allegedly granted more favorable criminal sanctions, lesser legal classifications or exemptions from prosecution, contrary to legal provisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As stated in the complaint, the central suspicion is that the disputed decisions were not the result of differing legal interpretations, but rather the deliberate use of official powers to favor certain defendants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The criminal complaint lists the cases covered by the allegations. Their details are presented in full below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“1. Cases Sk. No. 97\/23 and Sk. No. 119\/23 \u2013 unlawful reduction of sentences for previously convicted individuals: In these cases, plea agreements were concluded under which the defendants were given sentences below the legally prescribed minimum, despite having previously been convicted of the same criminal offense. According to the criminal complaint, the legal restrictions on sentence reductions were not respected when determining the penalties, placing the defendants in a more favorable position than permitted by law. Particularly significant is the fact that, when ruling on requests for the protection of legality, the Supreme Court had already established violations of the law in favor of the defendants in judgments that are now the subject of the proposed investigations. These include, among others, judgments of the Higher Court in Belgrade Spk. No. 51\/23, issued by Judge Ana Milo\u0161evi\u0107, and Spk. No. 60\/23, issued by Judge Stojan Petrovi\u0107. The violations of the law in favor of the defendants were established in Supreme Court rulings Kzz 509\/2025 and Kzz 515\/2025. The criminal complaint calls for an investigation to establish who approved the disputed agreements, who was aware of the defendants’ previous convictions, and who allowed the agreements to be concluded despite the legal restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Case Sk. No. 54\/22 \u2013 119 rounds of ammunition and the application of a lesser criminal classification: The defendant S. R. was charged with the unauthorized possession of 119 rounds of ammunition. According to the binding instruction of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, Ref. No. A. 308\/20, dated November 5, 2020, this quantity had to be treated as a large amount of ammunition, meaning that, according to the complaint, there were grounds for prosecution under Article 348, Paragraph 3, in conjunction with Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. The offense carries a prison sentence of between two and twelve years. However, the defendant was prosecuted under the less serious form of the offense stipulated in Article 348, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of between six months and five years, as well as a fine. A plea agreement was subsequently concluded with the defendant, who was convicted under the lesser legal classification. It is suspected that this enabled the defendant to obtain a significantly more favorable position under criminal law, contrary to the binding instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Case Sk. No. 60\/23 \u2013 resubmission of a rejected plea agreement to another judge and dropping charges against other defendants: In this case, a plea agreement was concluded with defendant H. M., even though, according to the criminal complaint, her confession was not supported by the available evidence. Particularly contentious is the fact that a judge from the Preliminary Proceedings Division of the Higher Court in Belgrade had previously rejected the agreement precisely because there was insufficient evidence to corroborate the confession. Instead of addressing the identified shortcomings, the agreement was resubmitted to another judge from the same division, who subsequently accepted it. After the agreement was approved, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade dropped criminal charges against H. B. and H. V., the convicted woman’s daughters, even though, according to information available to the complainants, evidence existed indicating their involvement in the commission of the criminal offense. The circumstances of this case raise the question of whether the plea agreement was used not only to favor the individual admitting guilt, but also to enable other defendants to avoid prosecution,” the complaint states, adding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The criminal complaint proposes that the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obtain and thoroughly examine all the aforementioned criminal case files, plea agreements and court decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Establish the identities of all public prosecutors and other officials involved in preparing, approving and concluding the disputed agreements, as well as any potential accomplice liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Examine whether written or verbal instructions, approvals or other forms of influence were involved in the handling of these cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investigate whether the same or similar practices were employed in other cases handled by the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Launch a financial investigation to examine allegations concerning assets acquired by the parents of the individual named in the complaint, with an estimated value of approximately 640,000 euros, and any possible connection to criminal activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take the necessary measures to secure evidence, prevent interference with witnesses and ensure the unhindered conduct of proceedings, including consideration of measures to secure the presence of the individual named in the complaint and taking the necessary steps before the High Prosecutorial Council.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The complainants also explain why they believe the case is particularly significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“A plea agreement is a legitimate instrument of criminal proceedings, but it must not become a mechanism for selective application of the law and granting preferential treatment to certain defendants. The allegations in the complaint carry particular weight because violations of the law in favor of defendants have already been established in certain cases by Supreme Court rulings. It is therefore necessary to determine whether these were isolated irregularities or actions indicating possible systemic abuse of prosecutorial powers. No one, not even the Chief Public Prosecutor, can be above the law. Accountability for enforcing it must apply precisely to those entrusted with protecting the law. Filing a criminal complaint does not mean that the criminal liability of the person named in it has been established. It is expected that the competent prosecutor’s office will independently, impartially and without delay examine all the circumstances outlined and make a decision based on the law and the evidence,” states the criminal complaint, filed by Senior Judicial Associate Nemanja \u0110uri\u0107 and lawyers Vladan Ma\u010di\u0107 and Stanko Fu\u0161tar, candidates for members of parliament on the Student List \u2013 “Students Are Winning.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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