Non-governmental organization Civic initiatives launched "ALERT - form" with which activists they can report any kind of repression by state authorities that they have suffered because of their activist activities.
"We have been witnessing the direct intimidation, arrest and detention of environmental activists for weeks now, which is actively continuing, and the list of people who are targeted is only getting longer," Citizens' Initiatives stated, as reported by Radio Free Europe.
They pointed out that their goal is to collect information and record all cases of repression and to "inform local and international bodies in accordance with the given information."
"This information is crucial for us so that in the coming period we can offer help to those who have been targeted by state authorities because of their activist activities," the Citizens' Initiatives stated.
Environmental activists and non-governmental organizations in Serbia have indicated that in recent weeks there have been frequent arrests of activists due to their participation in protests against lithium mining in Serbia.
A large number of detainees
Arrests of speakers from rallies across the country, briefings with administrators of environmental websites, and police detentions of foreign nationals supporting protests in Serbia occurred in the weeks following the August 10 protests in Belgrade.
One of the reasons why the activists were arrested and brought to information interviews, as they said publicly, was because of the suspicion of "violent overthrow of the constitutional order".
Among them are administrators and moderators of the Facebook group "Activism" Milica Ranđelović, Predrag Žunić and Zorana Crnojević.
Due to their participation in the blockade of the railway station and the protest in Belgrade against lithium mining, three activists Ivan Bjelic, Nikola Ristic and Jevđenije Dimitrijević were arrested on suspicion of having committed the crime of "disturbance of public order and peace".
Branko Ivković, a lawyer and one of the organizers of the protest against lithium in that city, was detained in Valjevo.
Dragan Simović, the president of the Citizens' Association "Protect Dobrinja and its surroundings" from Požega, was also detained.
Sofija Todorović, director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia, was detained at the Belgrade airport, as she said, "without any explanation", and after talking with the Border Police and requesting a lawyer, she was released to continue her journey to Germany.
The government's campaign against non-governmental organizations and activists during and after the protests against lithium mining was condemned by the non-governmental organization "Freedom House".
Due to the government's pressure on the civil sector, the National Convention on the European Union (NKEU) reacted, which on August 27 addressed the most important institutions in the country with an open letter, expressing concern about the state of democracy and human rights in Serbia and its European future.
