Novi Sad university professor and journalist Dinko Gruhonjic said in Weimar, Germany, that the Serbian citizens are determined to fight for democracy, and invited Western journalists to Serbia to witness this firsthand.
Gruhonjic emphasized that removing the “criminalized regime” is crucial to preventing the further social collapse of Serbia, a crisis caused by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
“Mass protests in Serbia have restored hope for democratic change, and the people are resolute in their fight for democracy,” Gruhonjic said at a press conference in Weimar, alongside the city’s mayor, Peter Kleine.
He added that it is “particularly encouraging” that most of the protesters are young people.
Gruhonjic noted that the protests were sparked by a tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1, when a concrete roof canopy at the city’s recently renovated train station collapsed, claiming 15 lives and severely injuring two people. He said this was yet another infrastructure project that had been carried out by Chinese companies and the details of which remain shrouded in secrecy.
The professor explained that the symbol of the protests is a red, bloodstained hand, and the dominant slogans are “Your hands are bloody” and “Corruption kills,” adding he is confident that the citizens will not back down from their demand for justice, insisting that those responsible for the tragedy be held accountable and that the regime’s leaders be removed from power.
He said Serbian citizens, human rights defenders, civil society, and students fighting for democracy deserve the support of the European Union (EU) and the international community.
“We often wonder why such a repressive situation is tolerated in the heart of Europe. Why is Serbia not explicitly bound to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights, the rule of law, and media and speech freedoms? The human rights standards that apply in developed democracies must also be applied to the citizens of Serbia and the Western Balkans. Human rights are universal and indivisible,” Gruhonjic said.
He also raised the question of why some senior European officials continue to legitimize the “Balkan autocrat” Aleksandar Vucic by publicly praising him for his so-called “economic successes.”
Gruhonjic called on his fellow journalists from Germany to come and listen to what the people of Novi Sad and Serbia have to say as they demand justice for the victims of the train station tragedy.
“Come to Serbia and see firsthand the extremely poor state of human rights in our country. I am confident that you will realize how Novi Sad and the brave people of Serbia deserve your moral and symbolic support,” Gruhonjic said.
On Friday, Gruhonjic will be presented with the Weimar Human Rights Award. He was nominated for the award by the Society for Threatened Peoples, Reporters Without Borders, and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights.