Marinika Tepić, Vice President of the Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP), stated that lustration in Serbia did not fail on its own but was politically “killed” by Vojislav Koštunica, along with what she called his “dark intelligence protectors and red-black forces.”
In a written statement, Tepić recalled that the lustration law was passed 80 days after the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, on May 30, 2003, as the Law on Responsibility for Violations of Human Rights, and it remained in effect until 2013.
She noted that on July 15, 2003, members of the lustration commission were appointed by Parliament, but the commission was “permanently crippled” when Koštunica and his allies refused to nominate parliamentary members from their party.
“If anyone thinks that lustration could again be obstructed after political changes by a new Koštunica, they should know that this time it will not be possible. Our Party of Freedom and Justice has included full lustration in its program for six years—not just for political officeholders, but for all public officials in the judiciary, media, security, and education who have violated human rights, so that they can never return to public office,” Tepić said.
She also emphasized that support for lustration is growing, which she described as encouraging news for Serbia.
