Serbia on the List of Countries whose Civic Space is Rapidly Shrinking

Theater In The Street Protest In Novi Sad (BETAPHOTO/DRAGAN GOJIC)

“The rapid decline of civil liberties in Serbia is alarming, including legal harassment as well as outright intimidation. Critical voices are under siege in Serbia,” said Ine Van Severen, head of the Civic Space Research Program at CIVICUS.

“Despite these threats, citizens refuse to be silenced. Massive protests and widespread mobilization clearly show that demands for accountability are only growing - people are fighting for their rights,” Van Severen underlined in a statement released by Civic Initiatives.

Serbia has been added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist because the authorities in the country  are seriously restricting civic space and encouraging violence against tens of thousands of people protesting against corruption.

This list includes countries whose civic space is rapidly shrinking, and in the first edition of the 2025 list, Serbia has been categorized as a country where civic space is “obstructed.”

This designation indicates a medium level of restrictions and describes an environment in which authorities disrupt the work of civil society organizations, protesters are subjected to excessive force, and independent media and editorial freedom are severely restricted.