European Civic Forum
More than 130 civil society organizations from across Europe expressed solidarity on March 7 with targeted civil society organizations in Serbia, students, and protesting citizens, condemning the "regime's increased repression" in Serbia against civil society and citizens.
In the same appeal titled, European Civil Society Stands in Solidarity with the Citizens of Serbia – European Civic Forum, they highlighted that this was the moment to make sure that the voice of Serbian citizens from 400 protesting cities, municipalities, and villages was heard "loud and clear" across Europe.
"We, representatives of European civil society from across the continent, express deep concern over the rapid escalation of bans, attacks, and repression against civil society in Serbia and call upon the authorities in Serbia to stop them. The latest illegal police raid against five leading non-governmental organizations marks a severe and deeply troubling escalation of systematic efforts to silence critical voices and suppress fundamental freedoms," the appeal states.
They added that "the scale of state violence and intimidation is deeply alarming," as dozens of attacks on demonstrators have been documented. According to the Forum, these attacks are not new, as for more than a decade, Serbian political leaders have steered the country away from democratic values and the commitments necessary for EU integration.
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