The League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) has condemned the assault on prominent film director and Faculty of Dramatic Arts professor Stevan Filipović, describing the attack as an attempt to intimidate free-thinking citizens in Serbia.
LSV spokesperson Aleksandar Marton said Filipović was attacked by a group of five unidentified individuals on Wednesday evening in Makedonska Street in central Belgrade.
According to Marton, the attackers knocked Filipović to the ground, repeatedly struck him in the head and stole his mobile phone.
“This act of brutal violence against a public figure, known for his clear critical voice and social engagement, represents an open attempt to intimidate all free-thinking citizens in Serbia,” Marton said.
He described the incident as a “fascist attack” and argued that the use of physical violence and “thuggish methods” against artists and university professors demonstrated what he called a serious deterioration in public security and growing pressure on political and social dissent.
Marton called on Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and the competent prosecution authorities to launch an immediate and priority investigation, identify all five suspects and establish the circumstances and motives behind the attack.
“Solidarity with Stevan Filipović is the duty of every citizen who refuses to live in a society of fear, darkness and lawlessness,” Marton said, warning that institutional silence or inaction in such cases would amount to “direct complicity in the normalization of violence.”
The attack has drawn attention to concerns over the safety of public figures and critics of the authorities in Serbia, while calls are growing for the perpetrators to be identified and held accountable.
