Belgrade, July 2, 2025.
NUNS Secretary General Tamara Filipović Stevanović and Uroš Jovanović from Civic Initiatives left “awards” today at the entrance to the Belgrade City Hall for Mayor Aleksandar Šapić for being the most prominent initiator of SLAPP lawsuits – strategic lawsuits against public participation.
Šapić was presented with the “confessions” on the occasion of the European Day of Combating SLAPP Lawsuits.
“Today we are at this location to present him with two awards from this year and last year. He received one award this year in April from the Coalition Against SLAPP in Europe. The European audience voted for Aleksandar Šapić as a prominent official who initiated strategic lawsuits against public participation. And the second award he won last year at the SLAPP competition organized by Civic Initiatives and the European Fund for the Balkans as an obstacle to transparency,” said Uroš Jovanović from Civic Initiatives.
“I think this is a great moment to remind the Mayor of Belgrade of what he has done in the past and to present him with these awards,” he added.
NUNS Secretary General Tamara Filipović Stevanović said that Šapić filed two lawsuits against BIRN journalists in 2023.
“He stood out for having high compensation claims. He asked for six million dinars for each lawsuit, which is one of the characteristics of SLAPP. Otherwise, his behavior towards journalists is very questionable, even at court hearings, in these cases, he shouted, told lies. The European Day of Combating SLAPP Lawsuits is a real opportunity to once again show him that such behavior is unacceptable, especially for someone who holds a high public office,” said Filipović Stevanović.
These “awards” were given for the abuse of the justice system to silence journalists, organizations, and individuals who speak out in the public interest.
The award ceremony is taking place at a time of increasing repression, when laws and institutions are increasingly being used as tools against the academic community, students, and civil society.