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Funds from opportunities and public procurement

Sredstva od oportuniteta i javne nabavke

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Opportunity Principle; Public Call for Project Financing; Transparency; Civil Society Funding ; Ministry of Justice

The Citizens' Initiative and BIRN Serbia have been following the implementation of various types of budget support for non-governmental organizations for years, and these findings, as well as proposals for improving the situation and eliminating irregularities, are being promoted within the broader coalition OKO (Open about tenders), of which Transparency Serbia is a member. One of the types of financing that has not been sufficiently illuminated so far are public tenders for the allocation of funds collected by the state based on the postponement of criminal prosecution ("opportunity"). Given the expertise possessed by Transparency Serbia, the main subject of this analysis was public procurement, i.e. procurement carried out by the winners of the public competition for the allocation of funds collected on the basis of the postponement of criminal prosecution. To the extent that it is necessary, the analysis also deals with other issues, such as the legal framework for the implementation of the competition, the transparency of the procedure and the supervision of the execution of the contract.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: March 7 – March 20, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression; Media; Protests; Police; Freedom

On March 15, one of the largest gatherings in the past few decades in Serbia was held in Belgrade. Due to the importance of this event and the large number of events the day before and in the days that followed, this Thursday we have prepared for you Three Freedoms under the Magnifying Glass: A Special Edition, dedicated to the “15. for 15” protest. In addition, there is our regular report on violations of basic human rights in the period before the protest itself. In the first two months of this year, we recorded a huge number of violations of freedom of expression, assembly and association (almost half of the total number of violations of these rights recorded during the entire year 2024)

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THREE FREEDOMS UNDER THE MAGNIFYING GLASS: SPECIAL EDITION

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): Serbian

Keywords: Censorship ; Repression ; Protest ; Sound Weapon; Intimidation ; student demonstration; LRAD; Long Range Acoustic Device; Systematic pressure; surveillance

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: February 14 – March 6, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression; Journalists; Protests; Human Rights

The deep political crisis that Serbia is also reflected in numerous violations of basic freedoms recorded in the observed period. In Belgrade, on February 25, members of the Criminal Police Directorate, on the order of the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, raided the premises of five non-governmental organizations: Civic Initiatives, CRTA, Trag Foundation, Center for Practical Politics, and the National Youth Council of Serbia. The Prosecutor’s Office ordered the collection of information from these pro-democracy NGOs, all because of the statements made by American officials against USAID. The raid comes at a time when the government is trying to present the current protests in Serbia as an attempt at a “color revolution” and after a months-long smear campaign by officials and tabloids on civil society, which loudly points to all human rights violations and irregularities in the work of the authorities. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Loznica filed an indictment against Zlatko Kokanović, an activist of the association “Ne damo Jadar”, in connection with the blockade of the railway crossing from last year, and requested a prison sentence of 14 months. This is the first indictment related to environmental protests against lithium mining, and the proposed prison penalty is a serious danger for all citizens who faced arrests and detentions due to their activism during the previous year.

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Protests Against Corruption in Serbia: A Review of Events and Institutional Response

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Corruption; Protests; Student Movement; Canopy Collapse

On November 1, 2024, a canopy at the recently reconstructed Railway Station in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 16 people. Protests erupted across Serbia in response, with citizens demanding that the responsible authorities find and punish those accountable for the tragedy. During one such protest, students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, who were peacefully paying their respects to the victims, were attacked. It was revealed that the attackers were members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and officials from local bodies and state-owned enterprises. This attack on students sparked the beginning of student blockades at universities nationwide, gaining broad support from various sectors of society, including teachers, workers, farmers, lawyers, artists, and others. Young people initiated a wave of protests against corruption and for the rule of law. Their demands are clear: they call for independent and accountable institutions that are expected to simply do their jobs and punish those responsible for the deaths of 16 people, as well as those who attack students and citizens engaged in peaceful protests. The student blockades began on November 22, 2024, and in the following months, numerous attacks and institutional pressures were applied on the students and their supporters. The repressive mechanisms employed by the government have proven ineffective, as students continue to courageously demand the fulfillment of their demands. The report in front of you is an overview of the events from November 1, 2024 to March 24, 2025, with a special focus on all types of pressure, attacks and targeting to which students and protesting citizens are exposed by representatives of the authorities and state institutions. It is not a comprehensive account of the numerous events that have taken place since the fall of the canopy, but rather an overview of the violations of the basic freedoms of citizens (freedom of expression, assembly and association) that marked the previous period. As the protests continue until student demands are met, the report will be updated regularly.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: January 31 – February 13, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Repression ; Intimidation ; Censorship; Police Abuse; Human Rights

Despite the authorities’ persistent attempts to portray the students’ demands as fulfilled, the facts show otherwise. One of the students’ demands is to punish those who attack participants in protests and blockades. New incidents and attacks are recorded every day, and the list of those who threaten protesting citizens continues to grow. Furthermore, while there is a declared commitment to dialogue, repression is secretly being carried out against everyone who supports the students. Professors and employees who publicly support the protests are being fired and reassigned to worse positions. Revenge is being carried out quietly, at the local level, and the existential threats against citizens are intended to discourage the mass expansion of the protests. However, the tactics of the authorities have not been successful so far, and citizens are rising up in large numbers, standing with the students and their demands for the rule of law and a state that does not promote or nurture corruption. In the past two weeks, several incidents have been recorded on the streets of cities across Serbia. Numerous instances of cars driving through gatherings have been noted. Bricks and firecrackers were thrown at protestors in Belgrade. The Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš was physically attacked during the protest. During this period, the persecution of activists continued. This is part of the ruling party’s strategy and the pro-regime media’s efforts to portray the protests as a conspiracy by non-governmental organizations and foreign powers against Serbia. Specifically, the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism requested account details from all banks in Serbia for five activists, citing the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing. This represents a continued abuse of the law to confront regime critics.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: January 17 – January 30, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Intimidation ; Violence ; Censorship ; Repression ; Rights Violations; freedom of expression

Two more female students were seriously injured in the previous period. This indicates a worrying trend of increasing extreme violence to which women engaged in activism are exposed. A student was hit by a car during the blockade on the day of the General Strike. The student hit her head on the curb and suffered serious injuries. On the day when the president of the state spoke declaratively about the necessity of dialogue, thugs, who came from the premises of SNS in Novi Sad, attacked two groups of students and on that occasion beat one young woman with baseball bats and injured her. The struggle of students, high schoolers and their professors, is the struggle of all of us. It is a fight against a corrupt system, a fight for the rule of law and the independence of institutions. In the observed period, 13 foreign citizens who participated in workshops organized by the Erste Stiftung were expelled from Serbia. Their expulsion is a continuation of the pressure exerted by the security services on domestic, regional and foreign activists and should also be seen in the context of the government’s attempt to present legitimate student protests as an attempt of foreign factors to interfere in internal affairs.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: December 26 – January 16, 2025

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: Intimidation; Censorship; Surveillance; Repression; Protests; student blockades

Yesterday we witnessed the attempted murder of a student who participated in the protest. The disturbing moment of the young woman being hit by a car should not be seen in an isolated context. In recent months, we have witnessed numerous attacks on students and citizens who demand the determination and bearing of responsibility for the death of 15 people who died when a canopy fell in Novi Sad. Student blockades started after one such attack on students of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. Since then, the highest state officials, starting with the president, find different ways to justify the abusers. In addition, government representatives embarked on a serious campaign of targeting and endangering the safety of students, high school students and all those who support student demands. This kind of atmosphere just led to attacks like yesterday’s. The government must urgently stop spreading hatred towards those critical of the regime, because they directly encourage violence and tensions in society. The number of violations of basic rights of citizens is almost impossible to count, but what is particularly worrying is the fact that these attacks are becoming more and more extreme and can lead to fatal consequences.

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Three Freedoms Under the Magnifying Glass: December 13 – December 26, 2024

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English

Keywords: repression ; censorship ; student protests ; surveillance; violations human rights ; illegal monitoring

Another challenging year is passing and towards its end the situation in society is still tense. Blockades and repression towards high school students, students, and citizens continue. Thugs hit the crowd with cars and beat them, the first misdemeanor charges for participation in the protests are starting to arrive, the media close to the regime are targeting, the security services spy on activists… However, the end of the year also brought hope. Hope was brought by young, smart and brave people who stood up to fight for all of us. For freedom, for equality, for a better tomorrow. They show us that our strength is togetherness and perseverance, that it is worth fighting for the rule of law, that it is worth fighting against corruption, crime, violence, arrogance, insolence and lack of culture. Their understanding and application of democratic principles on faculties gives us hope that future generations of those who will build our society will be better and more successful in creating a fair and equal society. The youth together with the citizens lit up Slavija last week, but their struggle will certainly illuminate the years to come, and we wish you a lot of courage, perseverance and youthful spirit in the next one!

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