Belgrade, May 15, 2025
Violation of basic human rights in Serbia
May 1 – May 15, 2025
The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Novi Sad filed an indictment against seven activists of the informal student group Stav and five members of the Movement of Free Citizens. The Prosecution proposed that the High Court in Novi Sad find the defendants guilty on suspicion of having committed the criminal offense of Preparing an offense against the constitutional system and the security of Serbia in co-perpetration with the criminal offense of Assault on the constitutional system and the criminal offense of Calling for a violent change of the constitutional system and to impose the maximum penalties prescribed by law for the criminal offense charged against them. Activists face up to 5 years in prison. Six activists are still in custody, while the other six are out of the country. One of the arrested, professor Marija Vasić, went on a hunger and thirst strike and today she was transported to a hospital in Belgrade due to her poor condition.
Citizens and students recognized the danger of this case of gross political abuse of the law in order to deal with political dissidents of the ruling regime and called for protests in several cities. There was a scuffle with the police in front of the court building and the prosecutor’s office in Novi Sad and in front of the Basic Court in Niš.
The process being conducted against the activists, based on an illegally eavesdropped conversation, and a possible verdict for a crime that was not committed would be putting the final stop to freedom of expression in a country where the law is not equal for all, and institutions primarily protect party interests.
For more information about these and other cases recorded in the previous period, see the full report below: