Threats to CSOs, journalists and activists pointing out failures of the authorities and competent authorities in the fight against organised crime

The National Convention on the European Union strongly condemns and demands an urgent reaction from the police and the prosecution due to a series of announcements threatening civil society organisations, investigative journalists and activists who point out the failures of the authorities and competent authorities in combating organised crime.

The reasons for the announcement are videos made by the so-called portal Prismotra and Nation Avantgarde institution, one accusing the researcher of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCSP), Sasa Djordjevic, of threatening the Serbian president, and another referring to BCSP, the founder of the National Convention on the EU, as a “NATO lobbyist”. The videos were broadcast in response to BCSP’s indication of specific omissions in the competent institutions’ actions and to an analysis of how the security sector was used during the state of emergency.

Through a series of announcements, prismotra.net and nacionalnaavangarda.rs have been trying to label the BCSP, which “has agents and conducts operations,” as a hostile organisation. The production of discrediting content has intensified since KRIK (Crime and Corruption Reporting Network) once again indicated that the son of the Serbian president was caught (photo taken) in a company of people who have links with organised crime, and after Sasa Djordjevic gave an overview of the institutional framework of a system of counterintelligence and physical protection of protected persons (the son of the Serbian president is the protected person).

The only goal of Djordjevic’s text was pointing out that Serbia has a system in which it is known who and to what extent was competent to physically protect and defend a family member of the president of the Republic according to the Constitution and laws of Serbia. We believe that pointing out these facts was the obligation of professional organisations when the official institutions in whose jurisdiction it is, have not done anything.

By publishing data from the biographies of university professors and public figures who are members of the BCSP Executive Board, with accusations that their analytical work “endangers the state security and calls for unrest in the country” – and all that “by order of NATO” – they are targeted. Their security, the right to work, and freedom of opinion and freedom of speech are directly threatened. In addition to the BCSP, the Prismotra portal – which ownership and editorial structure are not publicly available – targets independent media journalists (Danas, Vreme, NIN, etc.) and activists from reputable CSO, most of them are also being members of the National Convention on the EU.

Recently, CSOs BIRODI and the Belgrade Center for Human Rights were the subjects of similar attacks. We responsibly claim that this is an organised campaign against civil society, which indicates inadequate responses from institutions, which can have severe consequences for the personal safety of their members and the professional integrity and reputation in society.

Attacks on BCSP, media and activists were published on the same day as they appeared on the Prismotra website and simultaneously broadcasted on several local media (TV Pancevo, TV Dunav from Novi Sad, TV Rubin from Kikinda, etc.). Such synchronisation is reminiscent of the methodology used when broadcasting propaganda videos to discredit Oliver Ivanovic, the Kosovo Serb leader killed in 2018.

National Convention will do everything to defend its reputation, integrity, and right of our members to work before this video reaches TV Pink, and cause severe consequences for the safety of members of CSOs that monitor and analyse official policies of the Republic of Serbia on professional and scientific grounds and advocate respect for the rights and implementation of obligations of the Republic of Serbia in accordance with foreign policy commitments.

We warn the competent authorities and institutions of the possible consequences of not acting towards the media which goal is to discredit civil society organisations and prominent individuals.

The Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCSP) is the coordinator of the Working Group of the National Convention for Chapter 24 - Justice, Freedom, Security. Within this segment of work, it is responsible for monitoring and evaluating Serbia’s progress in the chapter, which main topics are police reform, fight against organised crime, asylum, migration and other areas in which Serbia has committed itself to reforms to move closer to EU membership.

During six years of existence, the Working Group has established cooperation with the Ministry of Interior. Thanks to the BCSP professional and expert approach, action plans and strategies have been significantly improved, and the public is informed about the results of changes on the road to the European Union.

In its official communication with the European Union, the Ministry of the Interior emphasises the importance and role of the National Convention and civil society organisations in this joint work.

The National Convention enables a dialogue based on arguments and under the procedures of the government and parliament. If that is not going to be possible, we wonder whether the Serbian government has understood the meaning and significance of dialogue in a society that has been undergoing a serious crisis of democracy. Deepening societal divisions, hate speech, propaganda aimed at provoking conflicts, do not contribute to Serbia’s progress. The sponsors and founders of Prismotra and the National Avant-Garde portals should know that. They could soon acquire that knowledge in the court process that we will initiate against them and demand criminal responsibility and an adequate reaction from all competent authorities.

PROGRAM COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE EU

Natasa Dragojlovic, coordinator

Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence

Belgrade Center for Security Policy

European Policy Center

Center for Advanced Economic Studies - CEVES

The International and Security Affairs Centre - ISAC Fund

Center for Ecology and Sustainable Development - CEKOR

Serbian Informatics Society

European Movement Serbia

Center for Democracy Foundation

Civic Initiatives

The Institute for Territorial Economic Development - InTER

Petnica Science Center

Lawyers’ Committee of Human Rights – YUCOM

Rural Development Network of Serbia

National Alliance for Local Economic Development - NALED

Transparency Serbia