Civil society organizations and individuals condemned the attack on Arsenijević: A pattern of fascist blackshirts...

Civil society organizations and individuals from the region strongly condemn the physical attack on writer and activist Vladimir Arsenijević, founder and program director of the Krokodil association, which occurred this morning under Branko's Bridge in Belgrade, which also prevented the holding of a memorial gathering on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Srebrenica Genocide.

This was announced today by the Human Rights Action (HRA).

"According to Arsenijević himself, a group of 20 to 30 people met him at the place where the commemoration organized by the 'People Remember People' coalition was supposed to take place. The attackers physically attacked him, threatened him, and wrote messages glorifying convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić and the Army of Republika Srpska, which committed the genocide. As a result of the attack, the planned commemoration was canceled for security reasons - which means that the attackers achieved their immediate goal: they prevented the citizens of Serbia from publicly and with dignity paying tribute to the victims of the genocide. According to the announcements, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Serbia was also supposed to attend the event, which makes this attack an additional blow to diplomatic and international efforts to deal with the past and reconcile in the region," the joint statement of a group of civil society organizations and individuals states.

The statement added that "the sight of an organized group waiting and physically attacking anyone just because they are about to pay tribute to the victims of the massacre, while leaving the space written with messages glorifying war criminals, is horrifyingly reminiscent of the pattern of fascist blackshirts who, on the eve and during Hitler's offensives in World War II, systematically beat and intimidated dissenters in the streets, in order to clear the public space of disobedient voices before violence took full hold."

HRA stated that the signatories of this statement believe that such a parallel is not exaggerated, but rather represents a serious alarm that requires a broad protest in support of civic activists, including Arsenijević.

The signatories of this statement believe that:

• This attack on Arsenijević is neither the first nor an isolated incident, but a direct consequence of a decades-long policy of denial and relativization of the genocide in Srebrenica, pursued by official institutions and most of the media in Serbia. The refusal to unequivocally acknowledge the genocide, the simultaneous glorification of convicted war criminals and the absence of a systematic condemnation of historical revisionism create an atmosphere in which violence against those who insist on the truth becomes possible, even expected.

• Responsibility for this morning's attack lies not only with the direct attackers, but also with the institutions that have tolerated and encouraged the narrative of denial for years, thereby sending the message that violence against defenders of the culture of remembrance will pass without serious consequences.

• Preventing a peaceful commemoration of the victims of the Srebrenica genocide represents an attack not only on Arsenijević as an individual, but also on the right of the victims and their families to a dignified remembrance, as well as on the basic principles of freedom of assembly and expression in Serbia.

• The presence of graffiti glorifying war criminals at the site of the planned commemoration is an obvious symptom of the systemic denial of genocide, which is taking place in Serbia with the support of the state.

• Writer and activist Vladimir Arsenijević has been building a space for dialogue and cultural exchange in the region and globally for decades, through the work of the Krokodil association and his personal engagement. He continuously invests his efforts in confronting the legacy of the wars of the 1990s on the basis of facts. An attack on him is an attack on all of us who do the same job.

The signatories call

1. The competent institutions of the Republic of Serbia to urgently, thoroughly and transparently investigate the attack, identify and prosecute all participants and orderers, including possible organizers and instigators.

2. State authorities to ensure the physical safety of Vladimir Arsenijević, as well as all activists who will gather tonight at Republic Square, organized by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, and to publicly condemn the attack at the highest level.

3. The highest state officials of the Republic of Serbia to unequivocally and publicly recognize the genocide in Srebrenica, break with the practice of relativizing and glorifying war criminals, and condemn every form of historical revisionism — because without that break, attacks like this morning's remain a likely consequence, not the exception.

4. The institutions of the Republic of Serbia should include July 11th in the official calendar of dates to be commemorated, which would contribute to building lasting peace through a culture of remembrance based on facts.

5. Regional and international organizations, embassies and European Union institutions to condemn this attack, monitor developments and publicly point out the responsibility of Serbian institutions for the atmosphere in which such attacks occur.

6. The media and the public in the region should not allow the normalization of violence and hate speech directed against those who engage in the culture of remembrance and dealing with the past.

"We express full solidarity with Vladimir Arsenijević, the coalition of NGOs and activists 'People Remember People' and all those who, despite threats and violence, continue to advocate for truth, justice and reconciliation in the region," the statement reads.

Signatories:

1. Human Rights Action (HRA), Podgorica, Montenegro
2. Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past, Zagreb, Croatia
3. Center for Civic Education (CCE), Podgorica, Montenegro
4. Bosniak Council in Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
5. Education Plus, Podgorica, Montenegro
6. Center for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), Podgorica, Montenegro
7. Association "Štrpci - Against Oblivion", Bijelo Polje, Montenegro
8. First, Podgorica, Montenegro
9. Walk with us – Phiren Amenca, Podgorica, Montenegro
10. Montenegrin LGBTIQ Association Kvir Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
11. Lawyers Association of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
12. Association for Children and Youth “Kuća”, Podgorica, Montenegro
13. Media Institute of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
14. Spektra Association, Podgorica, Montenegro
15. Montenegrin Women's Lobby (CŽL), Podgorica, Montenegro
16. May 21, Podgorica, Montenegro
17. NOVA Center for Feminist Culture
18. Center for Women's Rights (CŽP)
19. Empty space,
20. Dina Bajramspahić, civic activist, Montenegro
21. Jovana Marović, civic activist, Montenegro
22. Aleksandar Saša Zeković, human rights activist and politics of memory, Montenegro
23. Paula Petričević, civic activist, Montenegro
24. Milena Bešić, civic activist, Montenegro
25. Ivan Blažević, European Fund for the Balkans (EFB)
26. Vasko Raičević, Faculty of Montenegrin Language and Literature
27. Initiative for Croatia of Freedom
28. Solidarity Foundation
29. Equally
30. Tena Prelec, University of Rijeka / BiEPAG
31. CROSOL -Platform for International Civic Solidarity of Croatia
32. Domino
33. Center for Peace Osijek
34. Association for Cultural Development "URK"/Močvara Club
35. Shadow casters
36. Center for Education, Counseling and Research Zagreb
37. Rainbow families
38. Liberal Alternative Institute, North Macedonia
39. Maja Sever, journalist
40. Croatian Journalists' Union
41. In good faith
42. Tanja Dabo, visual artist
43. Ivica Prtenjača, poet
44. NO SH/T network
45. Rajko Grlic, director
46. Humanitarian Law Center, Kosovo
47. Goran Božičević
48. Dijana Cetina Mladjenovic
49. Adriana Cvrtila
50. Mladen Majetic
51. Sanja Sarnavka
52. Balsa Brkovic, Podgorica, Montenegro
53. Association for Social Research and Communications (UDIK), Sarajevo
54. Center for Nonviolent Action, Belgrade
55. Edvin Kanka Ćudić, Sarajevo
56. Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Serbia
57. Center for Investigative Reporting of Montenegro (CIN-CG), Podgorica, Montenegro
58. Juventas, Podgorica, Montenegro
59. Varja Đukić, actress, Montenegro
60. Institute for Media and Diversity - Western Balkans
61. Center for the Development of Non-Governmental Organizations (CRNVO), Podgorica, Montenegro
62. Nikola Nikolić, writer, Montenegro
63. Sead Šabotić, director, Montenegro
64. Civic Alliance, Podgorica, Montenegro
65. Dragana Tripkoviić, writer, Montenegro
66. Jelena Nenezić, actress, Montenegro
67. Impuls, Tutin, Serbia
68. Center for Biopolitical Education, Serbia
69. Marija Ratkovic, Serbia
70. Montenegrin Society of Independent Writers, Podgorica, Montenegro
71. Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Podgorica, Montenegro
72. Elena Premate, Belgrade, Serbia
73. Ivica Buljan, director
74. Olivera Ilkic, Belgrade
75. Maša Elezović, civic activist, Montenegro
76. Youth Association “Our World, Our Rules” Vranje, Serbia
77. Emilija Milenkovic, student and activist

78. Movement of Mothers of the Enclaves of Srebrenica and Žepa

79. Montenegrin PEN Center

80. Montenegrin Philological Society

81. Bosniak Forum, Podgorica, Montenegro

82. Mladen Ivanović, activist, Montenegro

The list is still open for signatures...