We, international students from Serbia, call on all members of the global academic community to sign this petition in support of our peers and colleagues who are protesting in Serbia.

All university buildings in the major Serbian academic centres of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, and Kragujevac have been blocked by the students for over four months. Each blockade was implemented only after a majority vote by the students of the individual institutions. Numerous high schools across Serbia have also joined the student protest. As a result, public higher education has effectively come to a halt. The central demand of the protesting students is the fair and transparent functioning of institutions investigating political and criminal accountability for the tragedy that occurred in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, when the collapse of the main train station canopy killed fifteen people and severely injured two. For months, the relevant state institutions have ignored the students’ demands. Meanwhile, state authorities (police, Serbian Security Intelligence Agency, judiciary) have exerted unconstitutional pressure on protesters and their families. Furthermore, time and again, radicalised individuals endanger the lives of peaceful protesters through violent attacks.

There have been various attempts at spinning the situation, from the resignations of high-ranking state officials to the partial fulfilment of some parts of the demands, but none of the demands have been met yet!

We believe that mutual support between the student blockade movement and civil society, both domestically and abroad, is crucial to the fulfilment of the students’ demands. To date, more than 5,000 professors, associates, and researchers from universities across Serbia have signed this statement in support of the students.

We call on students, professors, and other members of the global academic community, regardless of nationality, to show their support for the students in Serbia by signing this petition.

Signatories will receive an invitation to form a network that will discuss concrete actions for providing further support to the students in Serbia.

We, the undersigned, urge the fulfilment of the Serbian students’ demands. The students are demanding:

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The release of all currently publicly inaccessible documentation related to the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station. Transparency is essential to determine political and criminal accountability for the tragedy that occurred in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024.

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Official confirmation by relevant authorities of the identities of all individuals suspected of physically assaulting students and professors, as well as the initiation of criminal proceedings against them. Although some attackers have been identified by the victims, their identities have yet to be confirmed by the authorities.

-3-

The dismissal of criminal charges against arrested and detained protesters, as well as the termination of ongoing criminal proceedings.

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A 20% increase of the budget for higher education via a new funding mechanism that would oblige the state to contribute 50% of the total value of ECTS points that students would otherwise pay. This increase would allocate 1.11% of the Serbian GDP to higher education, which remains lower than the 1.71% recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

We stand together in solidarity to demand transparency, justice, and investment in education.