Civil society organizations from the region strongly support their colleagues from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Civic Initiatives from Serbia, as well as Integra from Kosovo, whose festival “Mirëdita, dobar dan!” promoting friendship and cooperation between the Serbian and Albanian people has been banned in Serbia.

We condemn the decision of the Serbian authorities to ban the festival solely because it has come under attack from criminal structures and members of right-wing groups who threaten the safety and make the most severe threats against its organizers and participants. As a member state of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and a candidate for membership in the European Union, Serbia is expected to uphold its obligations to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly of the festival’s organizers, and to protect them from those who use hate speech and threaten violence against the festival’s organizers and participants.

We express serious concern about the negative stance of the highest officials of the Republic of Serbia towards this festival, which solely promotes peace and was supposed to open with a performance about the universal suffering of families whose loved ones have been abducted and gone missing.

We call upon the Serbian authorities to reconsider the decision to ban the festival, to protect our colleagues and sanction all those who threaten their safety.

Signatories:

1. Human Rights Action (HRA), Podgorica, Montenegro
2. Active zone, Cetinje, Montenegro
3. Anti-Fascist League of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb
4. Association Spektra, Podgorica, Montenegro
5. Association for Democratic Initiatives (ADI), Sarajevo, BiH
6. Association for Democratic Initiatives (ADI), Gostivar, North Macedonia
7. Association IKS, Petrinja, Croatia
8. Belgrade Pride, Belgrade, Serbia
9. Bona Fide, Pljevlja, Montenegro
10. CESI – Center for Education, Counseling and Research, Zagreb, Croatia
11. Center for Civic Education (CGO), Podgorica, Montenegro
12. Center for Civil Liberties – CEGAS, Podgorica, Montenegro
13. Center for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA, Kotor, Montenegro
14. Center for Women’s Rights (CŽP), Podgorica, Montenegro
15. Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), Podgorica, Montenegro
16. Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Podgorica, Montenegro
17. Center for Democracy and Transitional Justice (CDTP), Banja Luka, BiH
18. Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), Podgorica, Montenegro
19. Center for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights, Osijek, Croatia
20. Center for Peace Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
21. Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), Podgorica, Montenegro
22. Center for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo | Belgrade
23. Center for Support and Development of Civil Society “DELFIN,” Pakrac, Croatia
24. Center for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), Sarajevo, BiH
25. Center for Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO), Podgorica, Montenegro
26. Center for Regionalism, Novi Sad, Serbia
27. Center for Advanced Economic Studies (CEVES), Belgrade, Serbia
28. Civil Rights Defenders
29. Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Kvir Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
30. Montenegrin Philological Society, Cetinje, Montenegro
31. Montenegrin Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (CHO), Podgorica, Montenegro
32. Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights (CKP), Podgorica, Montenegro
33. Montenegrin PEN Center, Cetinje, Montenegro
34. Montenegrin Women’s Lobby (CŽL), Podgorica, Montenegro
35. Municipal Multiple Sclerosis Association, Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
36. CROSOL – Platform for International Civil Solidarity of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
37. Drama Studio Prazan Prostor, Podgorica, Montenegro
38. Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past, Zagreb, Croatia
39. Society of Montenegrin Publishers, Podgorica, Montenegro
40. Rainbow Families, Zagreb, Croatia
41. ERA – Alliance for Equal Rights of LGBTI Persons in the Western Balkans and Turkey, Belgrade, Serbia
42. European Movement in Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
43. Expeditio – Center for Sustainable Spatial Development, Kotor, Montenegro
44. Europa Nostra Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
45. BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, Belgrade, Serbia
46. ForumZFD Kosovo office, Prishtina, Kosovo
47. ForumZFD representative office, Belgrade, Serbia
48. ForumZFD, Skopje, North Macedonia
49. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
50. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Bijeljina, BiH
51. Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banja Luka, BiH
52. Igman Initiative
53. Media Institute of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
54. Youth Initiative for Human Rights Croatia, Zagreb
55. Youth Network of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
56. Juventas, Podgorica, Montenegro
57. Cantonal Association of Persons with Disabilities and Anti-Addiction “RUKA RUCI,” Bihać, BiH
58. GRAD – European Centre for Culture and Debate, Belgrade, Serbia
59. Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, Belgrade, Serbia
60. Walk With Us – Phiren Amenca, Podgorica, Montenegro
61. Krokodil – Literary Regional Gathering That Dispels Boredom and Lethargy, Belgrade, Serbia
62. Human Rights House, Zagreb, Croatia
63. Human Rights House, Banja Luka, BiH
64. Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
65. Women in Black Network, Serbia
66. Nisma e të Rinjve për të Drejtat e Njeriut Kosovë / Inicijativa Mladih za Ljudska Prava Kosovo / Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo
67. Civic Initiative “21. May,” Podgorica, Montenegro
68. Organization “Voice of Women,” Bihać, BiH
69. Prima, Podgorica, Montenegro
70. Regional Academy for Democracy Development (ADD), Novi Sad, Serbia
71. Sarajevo Open Center, Sarajevo, BiH
72. Alliance for Children and Youth “House,” Podgorica, Montenegro
73. Association of Paraplegics and Polio Patients of the Una-Sana Canton, Velika Kladuša, BiH
74. SENSE – Center for Transitional Justice, Pula, Croatia
75. Association of LBTQ Women Stana, Podgorica, Montenegro
76. Network for Building Peace, Sarajevo, BiH
77. Victim and Witness Support Service, Vukovar, Croatia
78. Association of Lawyers of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
79. Association of History Professors of Montenegro (HIPMONT), Podgorica, Montenegro
80. Association “Parents,” Podgorica, Montenegro
81. Association “Štrpci – Against Oblivion,” Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
82. Association BH Journalists, Sarajevo, BiH
83. Association of Pensioners and Labor Invalids Bužim, BiH
84. Association of Joy of Socializing Bihać, BiH
85. Association of Dystrophics, Bužim, BiH
86. Association Alternative, Kakanj, BiH
87. Association of Women for Sustainable Development Vakat Jezerski-Bosanska Krupa, BiH
88. Association of Dystrophics Cazin, BiH
89. Women in Black, Belgrade, Serbia
90. Aida Ćorović, Civic Activist, Serbia
91. Jovana Marović, Advisory Group “Balkan in Europe” (BiEPAG), Montenegro
92. Dina Bajramspahić, Civic Activist, Montenegro
93. Aleksandar Saša Zeković, Independent Councillor in the Assembly of the Capital City Podgorica, Montenegro
94. Goran Đurović, Civic Activist, Montenegro
95. Dženana Dedić, Civic Activist, BiH
96. Almedina Dodić, Civic Activist, Montenegro