The trial of several Novi Sad activists and members of the opposition party PSG begins today, in what many observers view as another politically motivated attempt by the Serbian authorities to silence dissent.
Among those on trial are Marija Vasić, Mladen Cvijetić, Srđan Đurić, Davor Stefanović, Lado Jovović, Lazar Dinić, as well as STAV activists Mila Pajić, Dorotea Antić, Anja Pitulić, Branislav Đorđević, Dejan Bagarić, and Jovan, who is currently in exile.
The hearing begins at 9:30, but supporters began gathering outside the courthouse at 9:00 to show solidarity with the accused activists.
They are charged with “preparing the violent overthrow of the constitutional order” — a charge critics describe as absurd, politically engineered, and designed to intimidate civil society.
Background of the Case
Their meeting in PSG offices, held ahead of the March 15 protest, was secretly monitored by Serbia’s Security Information Agency (BIA).
As revealed by Danas, the conversation was recorded because PSG MP Anna Oreg was placed under surveillance.
The recording was then broadcast on all national television stations, a move widely condemned as a blatant abuse of state-controlled media and intelligence services.
The activists were arrested on March 13, while six members of STAV were abroad at the time and have not returned to Serbia since. They will be tried in absentia, raising further concerns about due process and the fairness of the trial.
