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Activists Remain in Custody as Serbian Court Rejects Appeal
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Elections & Politics

Activists Remain in Custody as Serbian Court Rejects Appeal

From N1 Serbia · (1d ago) Serbian Critical tone

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Novi Sad Court has denied an appeal against the detention of activists from Zborovi Novog Sada and the "Budni do kraja" observation mission.
  • The activists, D.S. and N.ฤŒ., are being held for up to 30 days on charges of endangering security and damaging property.
  • Zborovi Novog Sada claims the court's decision is based on fabricated and illegal evidence, citing stereotypes and illogical reasoning.

In a concerning development for civil liberties in Serbia, the Basic Court in Novi Sad has rejected an appeal against the pre-trial detention of two activists associated with Zborovi Novog Sada and the "Budni do kraja" (Stay Awake Till the End) observation mission. The activists, identified only as D.S. and N.ฤŒ., will remain in custody for up to 30 days, a decision their legal representatives and supporters decry as unjust.

Zborovi Novog Sada, a civic initiative, has vehemently protested the court's ruling, asserting that the grounds for detention are based on "fabricated and illegal evidence." In a statement, the organization criticized the court's reasoning as being replete with "stereotypes, nonsensical arguments, and beyond all logic and common sense." This sentiment is echoed by the activists' lawyer, Marko Zariฤ‡, who confirmed the appeal's rejection.

The appeal of the activists was rejected based on fabricated and illegal evidence.

โ€” Zborovi Novog SadaStatement from the organization regarding the court's decision.

The activists were initially detained on April 6th and subsequently remanded in custody two days later. They face charges of endangering security and damaging property. The court cited the need to prevent them from influencing witnesses and re-offending as the justification for their continued detention.

This case raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary and the treatment of civil society actors in Serbia. The police had previously searched the premises used by Zborovi Novi Sad and the observation mission in early April, but reportedly found nothing. The mission also reported facing similar pressure during the election day in Kula on March 29th, when police attempted to search their local facilities. Such actions, coupled with the denial of the appeal, suggest a pattern of pressure against independent observers and activists, which is deeply troubling for the democratic process in the country.

The reasoning is full of stereotypes, nonsensical arguments, and is beyond all logic and common sense.

โ€” Zborovi Novog SadaFurther criticism of the court's justification for detention.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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