11 Jul Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: June 28 – July 11, 2024

Posted at 14:22h in News, Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass by

Belgrade, July 11, 2024

Violations of basic freedoms in Serbia

June 28 – July 11, 2024

The previous two weeks passed in the shadow of censorship. A large number of examples of the collapse of basic freedoms reminded us of the captivity of the state in which our rights are under attack.

In the observed period, two events were prohibited by the decisions of the authorities. First, the “Mirëdita, dobar dan” Festival was banned, and then the “Kikinda short” literary festival was banned. Mirëdita was banned because of the gathering of a group of hooligans in front of the venue of this festival that promotes the cultural scene of Kosovo. The ban was preceded by a nationalist hunt that was carried out for days by the highest officials of the government. The Kikinda short festival was supposed to be held in the city library, however, on the day of the event, they were not allowed to enter the library due to the decision of the city authorities, which stated that the festival is “anti-Serbian” and that the participants “spit on the state of Serbia and President Vučić”. Due to the alleged threat to the safety of the president and his family, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against the journalist Srđan Škoro, and the reason was his criticism of the ruling regime. Censorship is the ultimate degree of suppression of freedom of expression that leads to the collapse of all other basic freedoms.

Other freedoms, such as freedom of assembly and association, have also been under attack in the past period. Seven activists of the “Ne damo Jadar” association were detained during the blockade of the Loznica-Zvornik railway. Activists are accused of obstructing officials in their work, and of assaulting an official, although the videos show a larger number of policemen surrounding and arresting activists. Environmental activists are protesting because after the election, the story of the lithium mining project in the Jadar valley was revived.

Women’s organizations from the south of Serbia that deal with the issue of gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence are exposed to continuous threats and pressures in their work, the “Women Against Violence” Network announced in an open letter to the Minister for Human and Minority Rights. Representatives of organizations are faced with threats to their lives and safety, but they are also targeted through various unjustified criminal charges, which also affects them financially. The vulnerability of civil society organizations is more complex when it comes to organizations that provide support to marginalized groups and that operate in smaller communities.

You can find more details about these cases in the full report below.