The knife attack on the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Niš—carried out in a public space and in front of a large crowd – has provoked fear, anxiety, and outrage across Serbia.
The extended Rector’s Collegium of the University of Belgrade is shocked by this act and calls for an immediate response from the relevant authorities. We demand not only the swift initiation of legal proceedings and the imposition of appropriate sanctions on the perpetrator, but also the adoption of measures to prevent unlawful violence against members of the academic community and all citizens who choose to protest peacefully and express their beliefs.
We stress that this act of violence must be understood in the broader context in which it occurred—one shaped by slander, insults, threats, and pressure originating from holders of high public office and sensationalist media. We have already warned that the persistent verbal attacks in the public sphere—particularly those targeting the Rector of our University—represent a dangerous step toward open repression and contribute to an environment that tacitly encourages violence against students and professors.
We urge an immediate end to the hate speech that risks leading to tragic consequences. We call on institutions to hold the media, as well as individuals whose public statements incite hostility and conflict and exert undue pressure on the judiciary, accountable for their role in fostering such an atmosphere and endangering public safety.
We remain united in defending the right of the academic community to protest peacefully and with dignity in the name of protecting the public interest.