Original article (in Serbian) was published on 11/7/2025; Author: Milica Ljubičić
While citizens and the families of the 16 people who died in the canopy collapse at the Novi Sad train station last November are still waiting for truth and accountability, the pro-government tabloid Informer is promoting a conspiracy theory. In a bizarre article published eight months after the tragedy, they suggest – without a shred of evidence – that it was a “terrorist act,” citing unnamed sources and speculating that the prosecution is trying to bring down the state. While students and citizens have been demanding accountability for the systemic corruption that led to the tragedy, Informer seems most concerned with protecting President Vučić – from his own citizens.
It’s been a full eight months since the canopy at the newly renovated train station in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people. Since then, the public – especially the Students in Blockade – have demanded that the responsible institutions identify who is accountable for this major tragedy. On the other hand, pro-government tabloids like progovernment Informer continue to speculate about why the canopy collapsed, doing so without any serious analysis or evidence.
Thus today, instead of addressing the question of responsibility for this tragedy, Informer published a bizarre speculation – or, as they call it, a “discovery”—that the collapse of the canopy was actually a “terrorist act.”
“Exclusive photos obtained by Informer cast doubt that the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad may have been an act of terrorism and reveal the role of NGO prosecutor Slobodan Josimović in the conspiracy”, states the article, signed by the “Informer team.”
The photos Informer published “exclusively” are not exclusive at all – citizens on the very first day of the tragedy and in the following days shared hundreds of video materials on various television channels, showing the clearing of debris to reach the people crushed by the canopy. One person found underneath was still alive.
It’s worth noting that after all the victims were found and the bodies recovered, citizens did indeed ask why everything was being cleared away. At the time, Informer didn’t find that suspicious.
The speculation that this was a “terrorist act” is based on an unnamed source.
“That same night, by order of prosecutor Slobodan Josimović—and at night, when there’s no media—the remains of the canopy were hastily removed?! (…) Why was it removed immediately? Why at night? Why the rush? (…) What did prosecutor Josimović want to hide when he contaminated the evidence and prevented any investigation into a possible terrorist attack?”
Informer quotes the anonymous source, who then concludes that the remains of the collapsed canopy were removed because “this was terrorism.”
“It’s a conspiracy. To remove everything right away. To prevent checks when it comes to terrorism,” the “source” of the tabloid concluded.
As further support for this speculation, Informer also quoted Đuro Raca, the father of one of the victims of the collapse. He had previously claimed the tragedy was a terrorist act.
In addition to these speculations, Informer named prosecutor Slobodan Josimović of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad as the “culprit” who allegedly “prevented” an investigation into the “terrorist act.”
“Are there countries whose interests were served by stopping this project? Why did prosecutor Josimović protect them? Does it have anything to do with the fact that Josimović is a protégé of Dinko Gruhonjić?” the tabloid asks.
The claim that prosecutor Josimović is a “protégé” of journalist Dinko Gruhonjić is unfounded. Informer bases this on a photo that appeared in various tabloids in mid-June, showing the Higher Public Prosecutor in Novi Sad Slobodan Josimović, the Chief Prosecutor for High-Tech Crime Boris Majlat, and journalist Dinko Gruhonjić.
That photo was taken at a public session of the Standing Working Group for the Safety of Journalists in Novi Sad, held on May 30, 2023, as media organizations reported, and as covered by the Cenzolovka portal.
These accusations against prosecutor Josimović came just one day after a campaign was launched by tabloids against the organized crime prosecutor Mladen Nenadić. Recently, front pages of several pro-government tabloids published a photo showing the rector of the University of Belgrade, Vladan Đokić, prosecutor for organized crime Mladen Nenadić, and former director of Railway Infrastructure Milutin Milošević sitting together. In its articles, Informer accuses them of being responsible for the collapse of the canopy and of “undermining the state,” stating that “now everything is clear.” President Vučić echoed a similar sentiment on TV Pink, threatening to soon reveal “shocking details” about it all.
Expert analyses and forensic reports in this case show no indication whatsoever that terrorism was involved in the tragedy.
The Department of Civil Engineering and Geodesy at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, acting on orders from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad, conducted an expert analysis of the train station structure last year to determine the causes of the November 1, 2024 collapse of the canopy above the main entrance.
As reported by N1, experts concluded that the cables in the steel tension supports had corroded.
“Therefore, the first and most significant factor in terms of impact intensity was corrosion of the pre-tension cables, which were the only load-bearing element of the supports. (…) These supports connected the canopy to the station roof in certain points, which according to the original design provided a more favorable impact on both the canopy and the roof,” the experts stated, as reported by N1.
The expert opinion also stated that the canopy had a load greater than allowed.
“The canopy structure, at the moment right before collapse, was carrying a load about 107 kg/m² greater than originally designed for—that is, about 23.11 tons.”
Tabloids Also Spread Conspiracy Theories About the 2023 Mass Shootings
Tabloids have a habit of spreading conspiracy theories about major tragedies in Serbia and around the world. It’s worth recalling that pro-regime media—and even top state officials—have previously fueled conspiracy theories about the mass shootings of May 2023. As Raskrikavanje previously reported, tabloids speculated that the mass shooting at the Ribnikar public school in May 2023 was connected to the shootings in Dubona and Malo Orašje, which occurred just a day later, and that foreign intelligence services were behind it all.
President Aleksandar Vučić made similar comments at the beginning of this year.
“I am against conspiracy theories, but strange things happened around Ribnikar,” Vučić said on TV Pink earlier this year. “It drew a lot of attention from foreigners, particularly regarding the killer (K.K.). People in my cabinet were asked to hand over K.K. That’s not enough proof for me, but I’m just saying—that happened the very next day.””
In addition to Vučić, conspiracy theories about Ribnikar were also promoted by controversial conspiracy theorists Saša Borojević and Branimir Nestorović. Last year, Borojević claimed that the Ribnikar shooting was a “terrorist act” and accused SBB of hiding key information about the boy who committed the attack. Branimir Nestorović, meanwhile, stated during an appearance on TV Prva in February last year that the mass shootings were intended to destabilize the country, claiming they “had the scent of various intelligence services.”
There is currently no evidence to support any of these speculations.
Translated in English using AI tools, then thoughtfully refined by a human editor.
