Criticism internally, solidarity publicly

Two days ago of a large anti-government protest in Belgrade, the regime televisions had an "exclusive special program" about the conspiratorial "Novi Sad group", as Aleksandar Vučić called the mostly young and politically not overly experienced members of the Novi Sad Movement of Free Citizens and the student organization Stav, who had met the previous day and discussed the possible scenarios of Saturday's event. The program is based on, apparently, illegal wiretapping and recording, which - let's remind you - is a criminal offense. What is it about? Well, about the young people who sat in the premises of PSG in Novi Sad and had a conversation in a pub, as was probably the case all over Serbia in those days.

If it were not for this situation and if some of the interviewees had not ended up in custody, with an unprecedented media-political harangue, their love would seem somewhat comical, especially to those who know these guys and girls and know that they would not even step on an ant. They babbled all kinds of things, just as each of us babbles sometimes, believing that no one is eavesdropping and recording.

The PSG and students in the blockade promptly distanced themselves from this video. In fact, they distanced themselves from positions that predict some kind of violent actions, such as, for example, the conquest of RTS. It is especially understandable that the students distanced themselves, because their vow is non-violence.

However, one got the impression that these young people were practically left alone, without any support from the wider protest bloc, even though - quite evidently - they became victims of political persecution and the hogwash of the court process. In the meantime, the lawyers asked for the disqualification of the prosecutor because he did not allow them to see the evidentiary material. One of the defense attorneys said that, even if by some miracle the recording was made legally, with the permission of the court, it will be very interesting to read the explanation that allows the wiretapping of the premises of the opposition party. This is what is happening in Belarus.

As a reminder, PSG members Mladen Cvijetić, Srđan Đurić, Lado Jovović, Marija Vasić and Davor Stefanović and activist "Stava" Lazar Dinić were arrested. All were remanded in custody for 30 days on Sunday. He is suspected of the criminal offense of "Preparation of an act against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Serbia in co-perpetration" from Article 320, paragraph 1, in connection with the criminal offense of "Attack on the constitutional order" from Article 308 of the Criminal Code and the criminal offense of "Calling for violent change of the constitutional order" from Article 309, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.

We talk about all this with the professor of political science, MP of the PSG in the Vojvodina parliament and chairman of the Novi Sad committee of this party - Radivoj Jovović. He was not at the meeting in question, but his closest associates were there.

"WEATHER" At this point, do you have any idea how the regime media came into possession of the video? Is it unambiguously unauthorized recording and snooping?, which according to our law is a criminal act?

RADIVOJE JOVOVIĆ: We have checked the premises on several occasions, but it is still possible that it is a case of classic eavesdropping. We do not have night guards, nor a 24/7 security service. During the search of the premises, a number of technical devices were taken from us, partly quite unnecessarily, which only strengthened the suspicion of classic eavesdropping. By the way, to be cynical, they also found flyers with very sharp edges, as well as meeting minutes full of hard points on the agenda. Nothing else.

The lawyers of the arrested were not given access to the evidence. Regime media announced that the video was provided to them by one of the participants of the meeting. Is there a possibility that the prosecution has some other evidence?, let's say the testimony of one of those present? Or is it a story about "to the witness-to a colleague" fictional?

These are games that instill mistrust among people. And until they provide access to the evidence, we have nothing to talk about. Actually, we have nothing to talk about at all. This case does not have any elements of the crime they are charged with, nor, it is clear from all the circumstances, was there any plan. Plans of such importance, whatever they may be, are made at a higher and more serious level. This is about a youthful one brainstorming, the kind of brainstorming that, at the moment I'm writing this, is going on in half of the cafes in Serbia.

To what extent does this event resemble a sound cannon; is illegal, but it does the job?

It is illegal, but it will turn out that, in the long run, it doesn't do the job. Public support began to come in waves, because people stick to the defense of human and civil rights, and many know who led this fight yesterday, today, and who will lead it tomorrow. We are all extremely grateful for the support and solidarity shown, from the bottom of our hearts.

How do you think the procedure will end?? And what can the public do for the detainees at this point?

At this moment, the media visibility of this case is important, and I call on the public to support the protest and other actions that we are organizing. Public pressure is important. On the other hand, the regime holds them as political hostages and punishes as an example all those who want to fight, which shows a serious misunderstanding of the situation in which it finds itself. As he showed the other night, when he pulled out batons on non-violent students in Novi Sad, in front of the City Assembly! It's not only tyranny, it's also heavy stupidity, which will fall on their heads. In our case, the longer it lasts, the stronger and more experienced we will come out of this. They did not understand that PSG Novi Sad does not collapse so easily.

What we heard on the recording really resembles a bar conversation in which possible scenarios are casually considered. There is no doubt that ant has been made into a media and propaganda elephant, but still, can we talk about the mistakes and even the frivolity of your associates, which was also discussed in part of the independent public? Did the authorities take advantage of "boiling blood" and the inexperience of young people?

You said it all. Some young people, who previously made some serious actions - the first blockades in Novi Sad, "Red Boulevard", "Red Freedom Square", the rain of flyers in the Promenade, etc., etc. - they made a mistake. You can think. A carelessly conducted conversation in the wrong context, which was discarded as soon as heads cooled. I was informed about everything the same evening, and with a smile it was unanimously stated - nothing of the sort! People are eager for change and, to use that colloquial expression, they "got carried away". It is necessary now to learn a lesson for the future, but much more serious and mature people made much bigger mistakes at numerous opposition and activist meetings. How many times did I laugh at the "cleverness" of the gray beards... Which raises the question of why our people were "on the penalty spot". I think we can draw from that an implicit praise for our struggle.

The Free Citizens Movement promptly dissociated itself from the views expressed by party members at the recorded meeting. Does this mean that the top of the party was not aware of the activities of the members, that is, whether this fence can lead to a split within the party?

The Free Citizens Movement clarified to the public that it is not about any views of our party, which is completely correct and legitimate to say. The positions of the party are determined at official meetings, at a much higher and broader organizational level. But PSG did not distance themselves from their men; moreover, he took them under legal, political, financial and other protection.

I don't even think that "fencing" is a term that should be used at all in these situations, because no one can be fenced off from someone's non-public and unofficial conversations, such as this conversation of our activists. It can only be fenced off from public speech and public action. The fact that the progressives turned someone's essentially private into public is another matter, and we must not allow such thinking to be normalized. Otherwise, they will expose all of our private lives and try to cause discord. Also, what we say at some personal moment about something or someone, absolutely, absolutely, does not have to reflect our true attitude. But if we allow them into our minds, if we begin to accept that we consider private and unofficial to be public and official, the next step is, what, to disassociate ourselves from who does what in the bedroom.

By saying that he did not distance himself from his people, you mean that the PSG said that its members are political prisoners and that their arrest and detention is an example of regime repression, and that he will provide them with full support, including in the case of international and civil organizations?

That's right. The movement of free citizens contacted international organizations and contacts in the bodies and organs of the European Union, alerted the civil society sector, the media. We don't give away any of our people, and we leave criticism for later. At this moment, all free citizens, from the smallest board and trustees to the party presidency, are working to free our comrades. We will have protests, actions, act in every institutional and non-institutional way. We make life easier for detainees in every possible way, financially, legally, emotionally. We are all on the front line.

The students also publicly dissociated themselves from the views expressed at this meeting. How do you comment on that? Is that understandable?, given the fact that students constantly insist on peaceful protests? On the other hand, In your opinion, do the detainees have the necessary support from the protesting public??

Peaceful protests are something that the Movement of Free Citizens, in Novi Sad and elsewhere, has always implemented. Personally, civil disobedience is something I've been raising awareness about for years, both among my students and the public within my reach. But peaceful protest does not mean being silent when you are imprisoned and beaten. Pacifism is an attitude and an intention, but it does not mean not defending yourself when batons are taken out, when metal shields crash into you. Well, the other night they beat the students, the hope of this society, are we going to accept that calmly?! And if the plan is Gandhism, fine, we can accept it, just to be aware that it gave results only after decades of struggle, a hundred thousand people in prison and three thousand people killed, and that when the British Empire was falling apart. That's why I say, peacefully, non-violently, but let us be aware that as a society we have an extremely legitimate right to self-defense. We have reached the point where we will become either Belarus or a free society.

This case threatens to cause a certain split within the protest bloc. We can see harsh criticism against both your party and the student movement because you distanced yourself from the arrested activists, among which is a member of the student group Stav, which is - with Belgrade's Sviće - was a kind of "the first fighter" in current events. Can this schism in the announcement be prevented somehow??

The protest bloc must, as a whole, understand that it is one big family. This is a big protest of all of us who yearn for justice and law. I invite everyone to the following practice of successful families - criticism internally, solidarity publicly. And every first-time fighter remains the last one on his feet, while others generally have no idea what he had to deal with in battle. But the first-time fighter does not need praise - he knows why he fights, and the one who was the first, as a rule, remains the last.