September 17, 2025.
Civil initiatives warned that with the proposal to amend the Criminal Code, the regime is trying to criminalize protests, explaining that with its adoption, any roadblock is declared a criminal offense, which is why they sent a request to the Ministry of Justice to urgently withdraw this proposal. Uroš Jovanović from Civic Initiatives states that this puts Serbia on par with Georgia, and that it is becoming a highly repressive country where critical voices are stifled.
Jovanović states for N1 that if the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code were to be adopted, anyone who places an obstacle on the road and stops vehicles on the road can be punished with up to one year in prison.
“I must mention that we already have a provision like this in the Criminal Code at the moment, but with an important addition, which is if the life or body of a person is endangered, that is, if property is endangered on a larger scale. Now we have this basic form of criminal offense, where we do not have danger to life, body and property, but only have an obstacle on the road and have a means of transport stopped,” he stated.
According to him, with such changes to the law, the government is telling the citizens that they will no longer allow such things to happen.
“I would also like to remind you of the statement of the high official of the Serbian Progressive Party, Vladimir Đukanović, who said that he is ready to propose to the state amendments to the Criminal Code and the introduction of serious criminal offenses, such as blocking highways, roads, railways and airports. And when we combine that with the statements of politicians in power, we get these amendments. Unfortunately, this is only the criminalization of protests, the criminalization of men and women citizens who seek justice on the street,” said Jovanović.
With this, he adds, Serbia is beginning to resemble Russia and Belarus.
“Now we are somewhere perhaps on a par with Georgia, unfortunately we are becoming a highly repressive country where critical voices are stifled, where anyone who dares to publicly utter a word that would shake the image of the government would be punished, and this is not just one provision in the law, it would join many other provisions that are interpreted very broadly with the aim of oppressing people and keeping them silent,” said Jovanović.
Watch the entire guest appearance in the video attachment.