Civil society and media will not give up the fight for a democratic and free Serbia

The media and civil society organizations demand from the Ministry of Finance and the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering to immediately present the grounds for suspicion due to which they ordered the extraordinary collection of information about organizations, media, and individuals from the commercial banks. The article of the law, referred to by the director of the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering, states that such inspection should be performed exclusively for organizations for which there are grounds for suspicion of their involvement in the financing of terrorism. Since the list includes numerous organizations and individuals dealing with investigative journalism, protection of human rights, transparency, film production, development of democracy, rule of law and philanthropy, the conclusion is that this is a political abuse of institutions and a dangerous attempt to further collapse the rule of law in Serbia.

The abuse of legal mechanisms and institutions to unlawfully put pressure on the media and civil society organizations is a drastic attack on freedom of association and freedom of information. For years, the government in Serbia has been facing serious criticism from both international and domestic organizations regarding the threat to these two important freedoms. Such an attack on organizations that advocate for establishing Serbia as a state governed by the rule of law with respect for the law and a genuine fight against corruption, is an additional argument that these values are seriously endangered in Serbia. Organizations, media and citizens will not give up the fight for a free and democratic state, regardless of threats and pressures. Such and similar moves by the authorities only further motivate us as citizens to persevere in the defense of our own country.

The media and organizations will take all appropriate legal actions against those involved in this abuse, including the prosecution of those responsible, but above all they will insist on complete and clear answers on how this could have happened. We remind the public that the organizations and media from the list are subject to various types of regular state control, including inspections and rigorous checks of financial operations by the Tax Administration and the National Bank of Serbia, as well as by their own donors. Any legal inspection of the work of organizations is welcome and we will always support it. On the other hand, we will fiercely oppose the abuse of institutions and procedures, because that is our mission – the fight for a democratic and legal state.

Signatories:

  1. A1 Novi Pazar
  2. Academy of Women’s Leadership
  3. Aida Corovic, HUman rights activist
  4. Alliance of Antifascists of Vojvodina
  5. Alternative Girls’ Center
  6. Dr Srećko Djukić, Forum for International Relations of the European Movement in Serbia (FMO)
  7. Andja Jocic
  8. Anja Andjusic, FM
  9. AS – Center for Empowerment of Young People Living with HIV and AIDS
  10. Association “Naš svet, naša pravila”
  11. Association “Kutija”, Nis
  12. Association Fenomena
  13. Association for Consumer Protection “Prosperity” – Novi Sad
  14. Association for the help of mentally challenged people “Pearl“ of the municipality of Srbobran
  15. Association iRevolution Valjevo
  16. Association Lužnica- my house Babušnica
  17. Association of Citizens “NE-BO”, Negotin
  18. Association of Independent Electronic Media – ANEM
  19. Association of parents and children Brodić Parkić
  20. Association Prostor, Belgrade
  21. Association Stara planina Pirot
  22. Association Voice of Citizens of Šumadija, Kragujevac
  23. Associations Film Club Prokuplje
  24. ASTRA – Anti Trafficking Action
  25. Autonomous Women’s Center
  26. B92 Fund
  27. Balkan Civil Society Develepoment Network
  28. BalkanIDEA Novi Sad
  29. Becej Youth Association
  30. BeFem
  31. Belgrade Center for Human Rights
  32. Belgrade Center for Security Policy
  33. Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
  34. Belgrade Open School
  35. Belgrade Pride
  36. Beta News agency
  37. Biber team
  38. Biljana Stepanović
  39. BIRN
  40. BIRODI
  41. Boom93
  42. Borivoj Stajić
  43. Branko Vuckovic, a journalist from Kragujevac
  44. Business Association of Local and Independent Media Association “Lokal Press”
  45. Business Info Group
  46. CANVAS
  47. Catalyst Balkans Foundation
  48. Center E8
  49. Center for Applied Psychology
  50. Center for Contemporary Politics
  51. Center for Democracy and Development of Southern Serbia
  52. Center for Democracy Foundation
  53. Center for Development of Serbia
  54. Center for Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities in Serbia
  55. Center for Local Media Development
  56. Center for moms, Belgrade
  57. Center for Monitoring & Activism – CEMA
  58. Center for Nonviolent Action
  59. Center for Policy Research
  60. Center for Policy Research Argument
  61. Center for Protection, Education and Empowerment of Refugees Info Park
  62. Center for Regionalism Novi Sad
  63. Center for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives – CDDRI
  64. Center for Social Policy, Belgrade
  65. Center for the Advancement of Society
  66. Center for the Rule of Law
  67. Center for Women’s Studies
  68. Centre Living Upright
  69. Centre of Modern Skills
  70. CeSID
  71. Chil Rights Centre
  72. CINS
  73. Citizens Association for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and All Forms of Gender-Based Violence (ATINA)
  74. Citizens’ Association Institute for Corruption Research, Pancevo
  75. Citizens’ Association AIM Center
  76. City radio
  77. Civic attitude
  78. Civic Council of the City of Kraljevo
  79. Civic Initiatives
  80. Civil action Pancevo
  81. Civil Rights Defenders
  82. CK13
  83. Coalition for Solidarity Economy Development
  84. Coalition for Sustainable Development – CSD, Skopje
  85. Coalition PreUgovor
  86. Conceptual Policy Group, Novi Sad
  87. Consultations for lesbians
  88. Co-PLAN, Institute for Habitat Development, Albania
  89. CRTA
  90. Da se zna!
  91. Daca Jović, activist
  92. Daily Danas
  93. Dajana Đedović, Forum for Culture of the European Movement in Serbia (FzK)
  94. Dijalog.net Valjevo
  95. Djordje Popović, FMO
  96. Don’t let Belgrade d(r)own
  97. Dr Aleksandra Bosnić Đurić, cultural scientist
  98. Dr Ljubomir Jacic
  99. Dr Milorad Đurić, political scientist
  100. Dr Sonja Avlijaš, FzK
  101. Dragan Srećković
  102. Drug Policy Network in South East Europe
  103. Duga Association
  104. Duško Radosavljević
  105. Ecogenesis Association
  106. Educational Center Krusevac
  107. Environment Engineering group
  108. Eurocontact, Krusevac
  109. European Movement in Serbia
  110. European Movement in Serbia Leskovac
  111. European Movement Valjevo (Slavica and Vladimir Pantić)
  112. European Policy Centre
  113. FEMIX Young Women Collective
  114. FemPlatz
  115. Forca Požega
  116. Foundation Ana and Vlade Divac
  117. Foundation for Freedom of the Press – Senta
  118. Foundation Pons Nis
  119. Giancarlo Cotella, Associate professor at Politecnico di Torino
  120. Goran Cetinic, FMO member
  121. Green Network of Vojvodina
  122. Heart Center, Novi Sad
  123. Heartefact Fund
  124. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
  125. Human Rights Committee Negotin
  126. Human Rights Committee Nis
  127. Human Rights Committee Valjevo
  128. Humanitarian Center Mitrovica
  129. Humanitarian Law Center
  130. Igor Mihaljević, journalist
  131. Impulse – Tutin
  132. Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina
  133. Independent cultural scene of Serbia – NKSS
  134. Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)
  135. Informal association “Za naš kej”, Belgrade
  136. InfoVranjske
  137. Initiative A11
  138. Initiative for Požega
  139. Institute for European Affairs
  140. Integrity Center, Nis
  141. InTER
  142. Internet portal “Media box”, Nis
  143. ISAC Fund
  144. Ivan Medenica, FzK
  145. Ivan Ninić
  146. Ivana Jovanović, European Youth Movement Forum in Serbia (FM)
  147. Iz kruga – Vojvodina
  148. Izađi group
  149. Jasmina Borojevic
  150. Jedi movement, Nis
  151. Jelena Erdeljan FzK
  152. Jelena Šantić Foundation
  153. Južne vesti
  154. KC Grad, Belgrade
  155. Kolubara District Women’s Association
  156. Kolubarske.rs
  157. Kragujevac newspapers
  158. Kreni-Promeni Association
  159. KRIK
  160. Libek
  161. Link plus
  162. Loznica Pact
  163. Majdanpek Resource Center
  164. Media and Reform Center Nis
  165. Media Association
  166. Mental Disability Rights Initiative of Serbia (MDRI-Serbia
  167. Mesečina Foundation, Subotica
  168. Milan Antonijevic
  169. Milena Dragicevic Sesic (FzK)
  170. Milena Stefanovic European Fund for the Balkans
  171. Milivoj Bešlin, FMO
  172. MillenniuM
  173. Mina Aleksic, Belgrade
  174. National Coalition for Decentralization
  175. National Convention on the European Union
  176. National Youth Council of Serbia
  177. Nedim Sejdinović, journalist
  178. Nenad Šebek, Media and CSO Consultant
  179. Network of Human Rights Committees in Serbia CHRIS
  180. Network of the European Movement in Serbia
  181. New Economy
  182. New Media Center kuda.org, Novi Sad
  183. New optimism
  184. New Social Initiative – NSI
  185. New Solidarity Network
  186. Newspaper “Grad”, Kruševac
  187. NGO Aktiv
  188. NGO Center for the Development of Liberalism
  189. NON-ALIGNED FILMS
  190. Non-Smoking Educational Center Association _ RP
  191. Novi Sad Humanitarian Center
  192. Novi Sad Open Club
  193. Novi Sad School of Journalism
  194. Obrenovac Youth Foundation
  195. Online Media Association
  196. Open Society Foundation
  197. Optimist, Bosilegrad
  198. Organization for Respect and Care of Animals – ORCA
  199. Partners Serbia
  200. PATOS, Smederevo
  201. People’s Parliament Leskovac
  202. Peščanik
  203. PG Network
  204. ‘Podrinske” Šabac
  205. Podrinje Anti-Corruption Team Pact
  206. Policy Center
  207. Portal Kruševacgrad
  208. Portal SEEcult.org
  209. Praxis
  210. Proaktiv
  211. Dr. Vojin Rakic
  212. Propulsion Fund
  213. Protecta
  214. Radio Sto Plus Novi Pazar
  215. Radio Zlatousti
  216. Ravangrad Citizens’ Association
  217. Reconstruction Women’s Fund
  218. Reflektor theater (Spotlight theater)
  219. Regional Information Agency JUGpress
  220. Re-Kraft
  221. Remark DPCM
  222. RERI
  223. Res Publica Kragujevac
  224. Roma Center Kragujevac
  225. Roma World, Nis
  226. Romani Cikna
  227. Sandzak Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms
  228. Sanja Ivačić, FMO
  229. SF-SN!
  230. Slavica Milojevic
  231. Slavica Ranisavljev Kovacev, Novi Sad
  232. Slavica Stojanović
  233. Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
  234. Slobodan Georgiev
  235. Smart collective
  236. Society for Adult Education
  237. Soinfo.org
  238. SOS Women’s Center Novi Sad
  239. Strahinja Brajušković, Senior consultant and member of the Working group of NCEU for Chapter 23
  240. Streets for cyclists, Belgrade
  241. Students for Liberty – Serbia
  242. Tamara Spasojevic
  243. The Lawyers’ Committee For Human Rights (YUCOM)
  244. The movement of the citizens of Novi Sad
  245. Tijana Jurić Foundation
  246. Timok Youth Center – TOC, Zajecar
  247. Trag Foundation
  248. Transparency Serbia
  249. UG Center for Civil Values from Subotica
  250. Union of Doctors and Pharmacists of Serbia
  251. United Trade Unions of Serbia Sloga
  252. Urban In – Novi Pazar
  253. USOP – Union of Organizations of Serbia dealing with the protection of people living with HIV and AIDS
  254. Uzice Center for Children’s Rights
  255. Uzice Center for Democracy and Human Rights
  256. Vega Youth Center
  257. Vesna Perić
  258. Victimology Society of Serbia
  259. Vladan Jovanović – independent regional consultant in the field of social protection, children’s rights, human and minority rights
  260. Vojvodina Civic Center
  261. Vojvodina recommended
  262. Vranje Development and Integration Team
  263. Vukašin Obradović
  264. Women for Peace Leskovac
  265. Women in Black
  266. Women’s Association Peščanik Kruševac
  267. Young researchers of Serbia
  268. Youth Empowerment Club 018
  269. Youth Initiative for Human Rights
  270. Zajecar Initiative
  271. Zvezda Center, Belgrade