Calling on Serbian authorities to protect the organisers of “Mirëdita, dobar dan!” festival and ensure that it takes place

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