FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
The bar “Crni ovan” in Novi Sad, known for its anti-fascist stance and organisation of activist seminars, humanitarian actions and alternative cultural events, was vandalised on 25th March when a group of masked persons ransacked the outside seating area of the bar and damaged the inventory. After the attack, a banner stolen from the bar was placed in front of the youth centre CK13, another activist centre, which is considered a threat by the local activist community. The bar “Crni ovan” was already the target of an attack earlier this year, when masked attackers injured two people.
On 17th May 2023, it was reported that Đorđe Miketić, a member of the parliamentary group “Moramo - Zajedno”, received threats after participating in an action to paint a heart over a mural in Vračar depicting convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić. The latest initiative to remove the controversial mural came after a mass shooting at a nearby school in which 9 primary school students and a security guard were killed. The tragic events led to public calls to take action against harmful influences that contribute to the increasing violence in Serbian society.
FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY
During the felling of trees on Šodroš on 24th March 2023, a conflict arose between environmental activists opposed to the construction project in the green oasis and the police. Several activists were arrested when two of them tried to break through the police cordon. This led to physical clashes in which one activist was beaten and another pushed to the ground. After the trees were felled, the activists tried to prevent a lorry from picking up the felled trees. Six activists were then arrested but released the same day, although several misdemeanour charges and one criminal charge were filed against them. The activists are protesting against the construction of a new bridge over a tributary of the Danube in an area with protected animal and plant species, which the inhabitants of Novi Sad use for recreation and fishing.
In another incident on 10th April, activist and “Moramo - Zajedno” MP Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta was physically assaulted by Safet Pavlović, chairman of the Žagubica municipality, after a protest in the area. The protest was organised in response to the announcement of a new mine. Jovanović had come to Žagubica with other parliamentarians to support environmental activist Ivan Milosavljević, who had recorded a conversation in which Pavlović had threatened him. A brawl broke out in front of the municipal building after Pavlović provoked the crowd by throwing kisses at them. The attack on Jovanović reportedly took place after the demonstrators had entered the community centre. According to Jovanović, Pavlović first dragged Dveri MP Radmila Vasić, who was trying to officially submit a petition with the protest demands to the municipal office. After other MPs entered the building, Pavlović allegedly punched Jovanović three times, and private security assaulted another female MP, trying to take her phone and prevent her from filming.
On 15th May 2023, a group of people tried to intimidate Mileta Slankamenac, one of the organisers of the farmers’ protest in Gospođinac near Žablje. Slankamenac was informed by his friends that a group of about 20 men had come to his village looking for him, whereupon he asked the police for help. He and his family were then given police protection. Although Slankamenec could not establish the identity of the intimidators, they left the village as soon as news of the incident spread on the internet. The protests, which began on 16 May, were organised to demand more state subsidies for farmers.
In May, a series of weekly protests against violence began in the Serbian capital after 18 people were killed in two separate mass shootings on 3rd and 4th May. Tens of thousands of people took part in the rallies, demanding that the government take measures to combat the growing spread of violence in society. On May 19th, participants in the farmers’ protests, who had expressed the intent to join the “anti-violence” rally in Belgrade by riding into the city on their tractors faced multiple obstacles from police. Those who set out from the vicinity of Kragujevac were first halted near Velika Plana, and later near Požarevac, where police officers issued them tickets. A similar scenario played out with farmers from Rača, who were turned back to Smederevo after several stops, preventing them from reaching Belgrade.
On 19th May 2023, during one of the anti-violence protests, the Kreni Promeni movement released a video showing an attack on their leader Savo Manojlović by unidentified persons. Later investigations revealed that the perpetrators were members of the far-right People's Patrols. In addition, two other women, activists from the FemPlatz feminist association, were assaulted during the protest by Ilija Vuksanović, who has repeatedly attacked demonstrators and journalists in the past. First, he tried to snatch a flag with the inscription "Stop Femicide" from a woman. A heated argument ensued, during which he insulted the woman. He also tried to physically assault her, but other participants intervened to prevent this.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
During the reporting period, there were several cases in Serbia of public figures and politicians targeting journalists and media critical of the government. These incidents raise concerns about freedom of expression and the safety of people exercising their right to criticise those in power.
Here are some notable incidents:
- On 29th March, the mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, filed two lawsuits against the Balkan Investigative Research Network (BIRN) over articles regarding his real estate properties. Šapić is demanding a total of 12 million RSD (around EUR 100,000) for alleged mental distress. BIRN argues that these lawsuits are strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP), intended to intimidate and discourage journalists from covering certain topics of public interest.
- On the same day, the official TikTok account of the newspaper Danas received multiple death threats after journalist Nina Čolić posted a video on the platform discussing the seizure of a car owned by Uroš Panić, the son of controversial figure Petar Panić, a close friend of President Aleksandar Vučić.
- During a press conference on 31st March, President Aleksandar Vučić publicly discredited a journalist from the N1 television channel who asked a question about the ongoing dispute with Kosovo over the use of Serbian number plates on its territory. Instead of answering the question, Vučić accused the journalist of bias and claimed that his “opponents and those who work on their behalf” (meaning the media) are unprincipled and take every opportunity to criticise him. Such treatment of journalists by high-ranking officials contributes to a hostile environment for media professionals.
- At another conference on 7th April, President Vučić referred to journalists of the Danas and Nova newspapers as “big liars”. This kind of rhetoric aimed at independent media outlets undermines their credibility and can potentially incite public animosity.
- On the same day, Željko Mitrović, the owner of Pink TV, who is known to be close to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, released a video in which he criticised journalists from other news outlets for what he perceives as insulting Serbian institutions. He also hinted that he might use his influence over the media for "self-defence." It is worth noting that Mitrović has repeatedly instigated smear campaigns against journalists from independent media in the past. Most recently, on 6th April, his television broadcast a video in which he called for the arrest of journalists from the editorial offices of the portal Nova.rs, the daily newspaper "Danas", the television station Nova S and N1.
- On 11th April, Mayor Šapić discredited several independent media during a press conference and dodged questions about a recorded conversation with his chief of staff in which he offered to manipulate the results of a public tender in favour of a particular company. He claimed that the recording might have been edited and, when asked by BIRN why he did not comment on the allegations against his staff member, responded by saying: “I don’t talk to liars.”
- The Coalition for Media Freedom has expressed concern over a first-instance verdict against KRIK issued on 11th April. In its ruling, the court found KRIK liable for defamation for publishing an article about recordings alleging links between Bratislav Gašić, then head of Serbian intelligence, and organised crime. Although the recordings were heard during the public trial of convicted crime boss Zoran Jotić and KRIK correctly reproduced them, the court ruled in Gašić’s favour and ordered KRIK to compensate him for the emotional damage he suffered as a result of the publication of the article, on the grounds that the plaintiff’s status as a government official made the allegations of criminal connections particularly hurtful.
- On 24th May, Milimir Vujadinović, an MP from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, accused journalist Marko Vidojković of delivering a “satanic speech” and labeled his podcast as a “satanic temple,” adding that his party will continue to “fight against the madness” coming out of the journalist’s mouth. This kind of rhetoric targets journalists critical of the government, as Vidojković has been forced to move out of Serbia to an undisclosed location abroad due to receiving over 50 death threats in the previous two years.
These incidents collectively point to an environment in which journalists and media organisations are intimidated, threatened and legally challenged for their critical reporting. This can have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and contribute to a hostile atmosphere for independent journalism in Serbia.