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:
Human Rights Action (HRA), Podgorica, Montenegro
Active zone, Cetinje, Montenegro
Anti-Fascist League of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb
Association Spektra, Podgorica, Montenegro
Association for Democratic Initiatives (ADI), Sarajevo, BiH
Association for Democratic Initiatives (ADI), Gostivar, North Macedonia
Belgrade Pride, Belgrade, Serbia
Bona Fide, Pljevlja, Montenegro
CESI – Center for Education, Counseling and Research, Zagreb, Croatia
Center for Civic Education (CGO), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Civil Liberties – CEGAS, Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Women’s and Peace Education ANIMA, Kotor, Montenegro
Center for Women’s Rights (CŽP), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Democracy and Transitional Justice (CDTP), Banja Luka, BiH
Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights, Osijek, Croatia
Center for Peace Studies, Zagreb, Croatia
Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo | Belgrade
Center for Support and Development of Civil Society “DELFIN,” Pakrac, Croatia
Center for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), Sarajevo, BiH
Center for Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO), Podgorica, Montenegro
Center for Regionalism, Novi Sad, Serbia
Civil Rights Defenders
Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Kvir Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Montenegrin Philological Society, Cetinje, Montenegro
Montenegrin Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (CHO), Podgorica, Montenegro
Montenegrin Committee of Lawyers for Human Rights (CKP), Podgorica, Montenegro
Montenegrin PEN Center, Cetinje, Montenegro
Montenegrin Women’s Lobby (CŽL), Podgorica, Montenegro
CROSOL – Platform for International Civil Solidarity of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Drama Studio Prazan Prostor, Podgorica, Montenegro
Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past, Zagreb, Croatia
Society of Montenegrin Publishers, Podgorica, Montenegro
Rainbow Families, Zagreb, Croatia
ERA – Alliance for Equal Rights of LGBTI Persons in the Western Balkans and Turkey, Belgrade, Serbia
European Movement in Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Expeditio – Center for Sustainable Spatial Development, Kotor, Montenegro
BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, Belgrade, Serbia
ForumZFD Kosovo office, Prishtina, Kosovo
ForumZFD representative office, Belgrade, Serbia
ForumZFD, Skopje, North Macedonia
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Bijeljina, BiH
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banja Luka, BiH
Igman Initiative
Media Institute of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Youth Initiative for Human Rights Croatia, Zagreb
Youth Network of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Juventas, Podgorica, Montenegro
Cantonal Association of Persons with Disabilities and Anti-Addiction “RUKA RUCI,” Bihać, BiH
GRAD – European Centre for Culture and Debate, Belgrade, Serbia
Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, Belgrade, Serbia
Walk With Us – Phiren Amenca, Podgorica, Montenegro
Krokodil – Literary Regional Gathering That Dispels Boredom and Lethargy, Belgrade, Serbia
Human Rights House, Zagreb, Croatia
Human Rights House, Banja Luka, BiH
Peace Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Women in Black Network, Serbia
Nisma e të Rinjve për të Drejtat e Njeriut Kosovë / Inicijativa Mladih za Ljudska Prava Kosovo / Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo
Civic Initiative “21. May,” Podgorica, Montenegro
Organization “Voice of Women,” Bihać, BiH
Prima, Podgorica, Montenegro
Regional Academy for Democracy Development (ADD), Novi Sad, Serbia
Sarajevo Open Center, Sarajevo, BiH
Alliance for Children and Youth “House,” Podgorica, Montenegro
Association of Paraplegics and Polio Patients of the Una-Sana Canton, Velika Kladuša, BiH
SENSE – Center for Transitional Justice, Pula, Croatia
Association of LBTQ Women Stana, Podgorica, Montenegro
Network for Building Peace, Sarajevo, BiH
Association of Lawyers of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
Association of History Professors of Montenegro (HIPMONT), Podgorica, Montenegro
Association “Parents,” Podgorica, Montenegro
Association “Štrpci – Against Oblivion,” Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
Association BH Journalists, Sarajevo, BiH
Association of Pensioners and Labor Invalids Bužim, BiH
Association of Joy of Socializing Bihać, BiH
Association of Dystrophics, Bužim, BiH
Association Alternative, Kakanj, BiH
Association of Women for Sustainable Development Vakat Jezerski-Bosanska Krupa, BiH
Association of Dystrophics Cazin, BiH
Women in Black, Belgrade, Serbia
Aida Ćorović, Civic Activist, Serbia
Jovana Marović, Advisory Group “Balkan in Europe” (BiEPAG), Montenegro
Dina Bajramspahić, Civic Activist, Montenegro
Aleksandar Saša Zeković, Independent Councillor in the Assembly of the Capital City Podgorica, Montenegro
