Day five of Novi Sad courthouse blockade over activists’ detention

The demonstrators, including citizens and activists, have been blocking all entrances to the building, which houses both the courts and prosecutor’s offices, calling for the release of six activists from the Students Against Authoritarian Government (STAV) and the Movement of Free Citizens (PSG). They have been in custody for over two months, facing charges related to alleged plans to violently overthrow the constitutional order. Arrest warrants have also been issued for six additional STAV members.

One of the detained activists, Marija Vasic, a sociology professor at Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj Grammar School in Novi Sad, began a hunger and thirst strike on May 13 after her detention was extended for the third time. After 50 hours without food or water, she was transferred to the Central Prison hospital in Belgrade on Thursday for medical treatment. Her son said on Monday that the family has received no updates on her condition and has been denied permission to visit her.

“We haven’t received any information,” he told N1. “If we hadn’t gone directly to the Central Prison ourselves, we wouldn’t even know she was there. We don’t know what condition she is in. We don’t even know if she is alive. They won’t let us visit her. The lawyers have filed appeals and requested visitation permits, but everyone’s staying silent and playing dead,” said Marija Vasic’s son.

N1’s reporter said all four entrances to the courthouse were blocked starting at 5:45 am on Monday, with riot police arriving around 5:30 am. On the fifth day of the blockade, the crowd is significantly larger than in previous days, with people traveling from Novi Pazar, Prokuplje, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Belgrade, and other parts of Vojvodina to join the protest. Opposition party members are also present.

Vojvodina MP and PSG member Radivoje Jovovic, who has been at the courthouse throughout the protest, told N1 that the demonstrators are demanding that court employees, from judges to clerks, show up and do their jobs. Specifically, they want the court to address the appeals filed by the detained activists’ defense team, which were submitted after their detention was extended for the third time.