Opposition leader claims decree banning lithium mining revoked

Manojlovic wrote in an X post that the Constitutional Court ruling stemmed from an initiative by Rio Tinto, the company planning to open the lithium mine as part of its Jadar Project. “The Constitutional Court synchronized the decision and took it in coordination with the political authorities and Rio Tinto. … The violation of the Constitution and occupation of institutions shows that Rio Tinto and the occupation authorities are prepared to cause civil conflicts like those in Papua New Guinea,” he wrote.

Environmental activists ended their protest by chaining the doors to the Constitutional Court which was reported to be reviewing the Serbian government decision which shut down plans to mine lithium in the west of the country.

The activists filed a request for a meeting with the president of the Constitutional Court but were told by a receptionist that they would not be received by anyone today and would be informed about a possible meeting within a deadline set by law. The activists chained the doors to the court building.

The crowd gathered in front of the court on Thursday morning angered by reports that the judges would revoke the government decision to amend spatial plans for the Jadar area of western Serbia, effectively preventing the Rio Tinto company from going ahead with its plans to open a lithium mine in the area. That decision was taken after mass protests and warnings that the lithium mine would pollute a huge area of fertile farmland. Rio Tinto managed to buy some farms in that area bordering Bosnia-Herzegovina.