Students Claim Oncology Institute Staff Were Pressured to Sign for SNS List — Director Denies

After President Aleksandar Vučić called parliamentary elections for October 25, Serbia began collecting signatures for the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) list — and with it came the first accusations of pressure on employees. Belgrade Faculty of Medicine students claim that at many clinics and health centers, pressure is being applied for employees to sign for the SNS, including at Serbia’s Institute of Oncology and Radiology.

On September 11, the day signatures were collected for the SNS list, the medical students’ official social media accounts reported that employees of the Institute of Oncology and Radiology were facing pressure to sign in support of the SNS. The students also claimed that the director of the Institute was among the first to sign for the SNS.

In their post, the students wrote: “The director of Serbia’s Institute of Oncology and Radiology, doc. dr. Milan Žegarac, came among the first to sign in support of the criminal regime’s list. Employees of this Institute have for days faced pressures and threats that they must support the SNS list. Meanwhile, patients with malignant diseases have for more than five years heard empty promises about the new Oncology Institute building and dignified treatment conditions. We call on all health sector employees not to give in to threats, because the end of the mafia is closer than ever!”

After these accusations, Nova.rs contacted the Institute’s director, oncological surgeon doc. dr. Milan Žegarac, who denied the students’ claims. “I have never pressured anyone, nor forced anyone to do such a thing. I don’t know where they got this, but it’s untrue. Why would I do this — it’s unheard of and makes no sense,” Žegarac said. He had previously supported the “Aleksandar Vučić – Srbija ne sme da stane” list in 2023.

The medical students tell Nova.rs that after the publication, their older colleagues employed at the Oncology Institute — but also at other clinics and in almost all health centers — complained of pressure to sign for the SNS list. “They were told they must be at the signing place and were forced to show up. This happened not only in oncology, but in many clinics and in all health centers,” the students say.

Nova.rs recalls that it had previously reported on employees of the Republic Geodetic Authority and Belgrade’s cadastral services, who — according to documents, internal correspondence and employee testimonies — are facing strong political pressure ahead of the elections: from collecting “capillary votes” and going to public notaries to verify signatures, to conditioning contract extensions on secured votes.

Burimi: Nova.rs