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Reaction of the NCEU regarding the harassment of civil society organizations

he National Convention on the European Union (NCEU) condemns the raid by armed members of the Criminal Police Directorate on the premises of five civil society organizations, including NCEU members, without an appropriate court order. We believe this action, carried out under the orders of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade under the pretext of verifying the spending of USAID funds, is politically motivated with the aim of intimidating and pressuring organizations and individuals who critically oppose the decisions and actions of the authorities.

At a time when citizens across Serbia are taking to the streets demanding the respect of the law and accountability of institutions, such investigations send a message that, instead of seeking to establish a dialogue, the authorities have chosen to intimidate and attempt to suppress critical voices.

We call on the Prosecutor’s Office to immediately clarify the legal basis for this action and provide a clear explanation of the criteria on which these organizations became the subject of the investigation, particularly given that no evidence has been presented to the public indicating that the U.S. authorities requested or initiated this investigation.

We also remind that the National Convention on the European Union (NCEU) has previously spoken out against the public targeting of organizations and individual NCEU members now included in this action.

Selective and politically motivated investigations against civil society represent a serious blow to fundamental civil rights and freedoms, undermine the rule of law, and are entirely contrary to European values, thus questioning Serbia’s further European perspective.

Therefore, we, the undersigned members of the NCEU, stand in solidarity with the organizations Civic Initiatives, CRTA, the Center for Practical Politics, the Trag Foundation, and the Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS), and express our full support for their activities aimed at building a better and fairer society based on fundamental European principles.

Members of the National Convention on the European Union:

List at: https://eukonvent.org/reaction-of-the-nceu-regarding-the-harassment-of-civil-society-organizations/

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