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
- Goran Đurović, Civic Activist, Montenegro
- Dženana Dedić, Civic Activist, BiH