NEWSLETTER #5
ON ATTACKS AND PRESSURE AGAINST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
The Solidarity for the Rights of All Network presents the Newsletter # 5 on attacks and pressure against activists. The team documents attacks and pressures on the Incident Map through research of publicly available information and interviews with the victims. Since the beginning of 2021, 47 attacks and pressures have been registered on the map, both against those who deal with the protection of human rights, as well as those who found themselves in that role due to their actions and suffered consequences. The Solidarity for the Rights of All Network is led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, Belgrade Center for Security Policy and the People’s Parliament. In August and September 2021, 18 attacks and pressures were registered.
CURRENT NEWS
Serbian Telegraph special on media and non-governmental organizations |
|
| On August 23, 2021, Serbian Telegraph published a special “Media Dossier”, with the title “Western megaphones got millions”. In addition to several media that are primarily targeted (KRIK, BIRN, CINS), the text also refers to “discovering who finances the media and NGO fighters for democracy and freedom”. The reason given for publishing the special is the labeling of certain media by Twitter as “media cooperating with the Government of Serbia”. The authors singled out 10 non-governmental organizations and foundations – Trag Foundation, Civic Initiatives, Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – Yucom, Humanitarian Law Center, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Belgrade Center for Security Policy, European Movement in Serbia, National Coalition for Decentralization, Foundation “Catalyst” and CRTA. Various information is provided in order to present these organizations as “foreign mercenaries” and / or agents, and that they are funded in order to “promote attitudes contrary to the policy pursued by the Government of Serbia”. Such reporting identifies organizations advocating for the rule of law and respect for human rights as enemies of the state. As it is clear that the authors of the text could obtain certain information only due to a commission of a criminal offense, criminal charges were filed against unknown perpetrators from commercial banks and the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering, for the criminal offense of Disclosure of Business Secrets | |
| Date | August 23. 2021 |
| Type of attack | Deframation via electronic media or social networks |
| Type of attacker | Media |
| Endangered right | Freedom of expression, freedom of association, right to be informed |
 |
|
ATTACKS AND PRESSURE IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
| Attack on Belgrade Pride Forum |
|
| Date | September 17, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Property damage |
| Type of attacker | Natural person |
| Endangered right | Freedom of association, freedom of expressions |
| Demolition of a car of the Society for the Protection and Study of Birds of Serbia | |
| Date | September 11, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Property damage |
| Type of attacker | Natural person |
| Endangered right | Freedom of association, freedom of expression |
| Attack on Zrenjanin Action Activists (ZRAK) | |
| Date | August 27, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Psysical assault, property damage |
| Type of attacker | Natural person |
| Endangered right | Freedom of expression, freedom of assembly |
| Smear campaign against the history teachers’ association “Eurocilo” | |
| Date | August 25, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Attack via electronic media, defamation via electronic media or social networks |
| Type of attacker | Media |
| Endangered right | Freedom of association, freedom of expression |
| President Aleksandar Vučić’s attack on BIRODI | |
| Date | August 23, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Defamation trough electronic media or social networks |
| Type of attacker | Public official |
| Endangered right | Freedom of association, freedom of expression |
| False accusations of MPs for arson against Let’s not drown Belgrade | |
| Date | August 21, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Defamation trough electronic media or social networks |
| Type of attacker | Public official |
| Endangered right | Freedom of association, freedom of expression |
| False accusations of tabloids for arson against Let’s not drown Belgrade | |
| Date | August 10, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Attack via electronic media, deamation via electronic media or social networks |
| Type of attacker | Media |
| Endangered right | Freedom of association, freedom if expression |
| Physical attack on the activist of Let’s defend the forests of Fruška Gora by Forest contractors | |
| Date | August 9, 2021 |
| Type of attack | Physical assault |
| Type of attacker | Natural person |
| Endangered right | The right to inviolability of mental and physical integrity |
| More on the map… | |
REACTIONS
| September 6, 2021 | BIRODI announced a lawsuit against Vučić due to the accusation that the organisation submitted information about the media to Twitter |
| Danas | |
| September 3, 2021 | Campaign of pro-regime tabloids and nationalist historians against Euroclio |
|
Youth Initiative for Human Rights
|
|
| August 27, 2021 | Condemnations of attacks on activists in Zrenjanin |
|
portal autonomy
|
|
| August 12, 2021 | Support for the movement Let’s not drown Belgrade because of the accusation that they started the fire in Vinča |
| N1 | |
| August 9, 2021 | Protest due to the attack on the environmental activist on Thursday in front of the headquarters of the National Park “Fruška gora” |
| portal 021 |
SEMI – ANNUAL REPORT #1
The Solidarity for the Rights of All Network presents the Semi-Annual Report # 1. The document presents data on attacks and pressures on organizations, informal groups and human rights activists recorded on the Incident Map, as well as data on free legal aid provided to activists and citizens in cases of human rights violations. From January 1 to June 30, 2021, the network recorded 29 attacks and pressures and provided free legal assistance to citizens in 365 cases. |
ACTIVITIES OF OUR PARTNERS
 16.-19. September 2021 From September 16 to 19, KOKORO from Bor is organizing a training seminar in mediation skills between the injured party and a juvenile perpetrator within the project “Mediation to a faster resolution of a dispute / conflict”. The program is intended for the widest target group of professionals (judges, lawyers, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, CSO activists with a university degree, employees in social protection, local self-government, public, private and non-governmental sector. The goal of the training is to train teams in law-based mediation skills and to apply diversionary and alternative measures in practice. The seminar is conducted with the financial assistance of the European Union within the Solidarity for the Rights of All Program – Support to Human Rights Defenders in Local Communities 2021/2022. which is implemented by the Solidarity for the Rights of All team. |
CONTACT
|
You can report attacks and pressures against your organization and yourself to the contact below with a brief description of the event, date, place and identity of the attacker (if known). We would ask you to submit a contact phone number with the application, at which you can be reached for additional questions. |
The Newsletter on attack and pressure on human rights defenders was made with the financial assistance of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – Yucom and partners and its contents does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union
