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