MASA (Mreža akademske solidarnosti i angažovanja u Srbiji) je juče uputila hitan apel većem broju međunarodnih institucija i mehanizama (kompletan spisak i tekst pisma možete videti u nastavku) povodom pretnji krivičnim gonjenjem usmerenih protiv pripadnika akademske zajednice, novinara i stručnjaka, ali i kontinuiranog napada na akademsku zajednicu u Srbiji.
Povod je niz najava istraga i mogućih krivičnih postupaka protiv osoba koje su javno govorile o događajima od 15. marta 2025. godine u Beogradu i o navodnoj upotrebi zvučnog oružja protiv mirnih demonstranata. U apelu ukazujemo na to da se članovima akademske i stručne zajednice preti gonjenjem ne zbog protivpravnog ponašanja, već zbog iznošenja stručnih mišljenja, analiza i učešća u javnoj raspravi.
U apelu naglašavamo i da se ovo dešava u kontekstu kontinuiranog i dugotrajnog pritiska na državne univerzitete, studente, profesore i istraživače — političkih napada, javne stigmatizacije, administrativnog pritiska i pokušaja podrivanja autonomije.
Od nadležnih međunarodnih tela tražili smo da pozovu srpske vlasti da odustanu od svakog oblika kriminalizacije profesionalnog, akademskog, novinarskog i građanskog angažmana, kao i da razmotre slanje nezavisnih posmatrača i zatraže informacije o pravnom osnovu najavljenih istraga.
Attn:
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education
UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection
European Commissioner for Enlargement
European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education
European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights
Scholars at Risk
European University Association
International Association of Universities
Subject: Urgent Appeal Concerning Threats of Criminal Prosecution Against Members of the Academic Community and Other Public Voices in Serbia
We, members of the Academic Solidarity and Engagement Network in Serbia (MASA), address you with deep concern regarding recent developments in Serbia that pose a serious threat to academic freedom, freedom of expression, and the basic human rights.
In recent days, representatives of the Serbian prosecution service have publicly announced investigations and potential criminal proceedings against individuals who have spoken publicly about the events of 15 March 2025 in Belgrade and the alleged use of a sonic weapon against peaceful demonstrators. These announcements have already been accompanied by searches, interrogations, and public targeting of experts, journalists, civil society representatives, and analysts who have contributed to public discussion of the incident – many of whom personally witnessed 15 March event.
Of particular concern is the fact that members of the academic and expert community are being threatened with prosecution not for unlawful conduct, but for expressing professional opinions, presenting analyses, conducting research, interpreting publicly available evidence, and participating in public debate on a matter of exceptional public importance.
This represents a dangerous escalation. The issue at stake is no longer merely the investigation of the events of 15 March. The issue is whether scholars, researchers, university professors, independent experts, journalists, and civil society actors may freely speak without fear of criminal sanctions. The threat of criminal prosecution creates a chilling effect that extends far beyond the individuals currently targeted. It sends a message to the entire academic community that professional expertise may become grounds for state retaliation.
These developments occur in a broader context of sustained pressure on public universities, students, professors, and researchers in Serbia. Over recent months, academic institutions have faced political attacks, public stigmatization, administrative pressure, and attempts to undermine their autonomy, with several professors losing their jobs solely because of their support for the student movement in Serbia. Police even raided university offices in some instances.
The latest public threats against public universities by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who stated that he would carry out the reform of higher education even „if that becomes their first reason to face a firing squad once they win the elections, if they win,“ represent just a culmination of these trends. A few months earlier, Serbia’s Minister of Public Investment, Darko Glišić, appealed to the parents of high school graduates not to enroll their children in faculties that supported the student movement, warning that otherwise they might see their children returned to them in coffins. This was followed by a statement from another minister, Boris Bratina, who said that police even have the right to kill students if necessary.
We therefore call upon relevant international institutions and mechanisms to call upon Serbian authorities to refrain from any form of criminalization of professional, academic, journalistic, or civic engagement as well as consider sending independent observers and requesting detailed information about the legal basis for the announced investigations and prosecutions.
We urge your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Academic Solidarity and Engagement Network (MASA)
