The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) would like to express it deepest concern about the attack on Nataša Kandić, the Executive Director of the Humanitarian Law Centre, on 3 September. The BCHR, other NGOs and the few responsible media in Serbia have for a long time been warning that the climate of the nineties has again begun to prevail in Serbia. It involves physical assaults on and threats to the lives of individuals and organisations daring to disagree with the opinions that the Government and most media close to government services or other powerful financial or other interests wish to impose as prevalent upon Serbia.The police are now speculating whether shots were fired at Ms. Kandic or whether someone had “merely thrown a firecracker”. That is not the crucial issue. The crucial issue is that the state bodies have failed to react efficiently to public threats against certain persons and organisations. Pages of some media, funded by dubious capital and advocating ideology of even greater dubiousness, are full of public calls to lynch. The tabloid Kurir today, for instance, quotes Siniša Vučinić who warns Ms. Kandić and two other renowned NGO leaders that they will be killed. To recall, Vučinić was the man who was trying to prevent the arrest of Slobodan Milošević with his illegal heavy weaponry and who had already “stormed” RTV B92 when its guests voiced political views contrary to his own.
Part of Serbia’s public, however, does not have a problem with the life and deeds of Siniša Vučinić, but with Nataša Kandić. The police did not even bother returning to the place from which she may have been shot at. Such conduct does not only constitute a violation of the fundamental human rights of citizens, it also sends a disastreous signal to the domestic and international public about the situation in Serbia. After such actions or omissions to act, any discussions about sabre rattling and historic legacy become senseless. The monologue on these issues will, unfortunately, continue. Fortunately, Serbia still boasts organisations, media and individuals who will do their best to ensure that their country has normal and democratic debates on all relevant issues, even if they are declared traitors or targets while the authorities stand by, watching in silence.
The BCHR stands ready to counter all attempts to shut up Nataša Kandić and all other courageous individuals and turn Serbia into a society tolerating physical assaults and verbal attacks against those who dare have a mind of their own and think differently.
