History of the Case

Six people, Sanja Dojkic, Ratibor Trivunac, Tadej Kurepa, Ivan Vulovic, Nikola Mitrovic and Ivan Savic, are to be tried in Belgrade in a political show trial. The state is falsely accusing them of being “international terrorists”, a grave charge which is simply not true.

Most people associate international terrorism with bloody and deadly attacks against the civilian population, with acts of terror committed in foreign countries. But did you know that in Serbia you can be charged with such a crime without leaving the country, or without harming a soul? What’s more, you don’t even need to have attacked anybody. It seems like in Serbia, your political convictions are enough to get you locked up, facing the most serious of charges.

WHAT HAPPENED?

In the not too recent past in Eastern Europe, it used to be that the police needed no reason to arrest you. It was enough that you had a meeting where you talked about radical or alternative political ideas and you could be rounded up and charged with “subversion’. But now Serbia considers itself some sort of democracy and waits for something actually to happen before arresting people and pressing totally unjust charges.

On the night of August 24-25, there was an “action” at the Greek Embassy. It was carried out to protest the Greek State and to express solidarity with Todoris Iliopulos. Iliopulos was in an extremely critical situation, on the verge of death: he had been on hunger strike since July 10. His hunger strike was related to his imprisonment after the events of Dec. 2008 in Greece. Although prisoners from that time had been released, Iliopulos was facing various charges for the December events on false testimony made by police.

What was this “action” at the embassy? On the photos below, made at the scene, you can see for yourself.

Graffiti was painted on the embassy.

Here is another photo with a better view of the “terrorist act”.

Besides that, two beer bottles were thrown. One made a crack in the window.

Another bottle was on fire and caused a little smoke damage. If you look REALLY CAREFULLY, you can see it in the second photo.

This is, in the eyes of the Serbian state, an act of “international terrorism”.

WHO CLAIMED REPSONSIBILITY (AND WHO DIDN”T)

An unknown anarchist group.

The most known anarchist in Serbia, Ratibor Trivunac from the Anarchosyndicalist Initiative (ASI – the Serbian section of the International Workers’ Association) was interviewed in the press the next day. He stated that he did not know such a group and that this was not the way anarchosyndicalists usually chose for their struggle. However, he, just like the others from ASI, refused to condemn this act, which they considered to be nothing in comparison to the damage done by the repressive Greek state.

ARRESTS

On September 3, four members of ASI (Trivunac, Dojkic, Kurepa and Vulovic) were taken. They were dragged out of their houses without any warrants and held for questioning. They were lated arrested, but no formal charges would be pressed for three months.

On September 4, a fifth person (Mitrovic) was arrested. A sixth (Savic), who was on vacation, was arrested a few days later.

They were held in remand detention for three months before any charges were pressed. The police claimed that they needed time to investigate the case and find evidence.

In December the Six were formally charged with “international terrorism”.

INTELLECTUALS REACT AGAINST HYPOCRISY AND SHOW TRIAL

Serbian intellectuals were among the first people to react against the suggestion that these people were “terrorists”. Although the intellectuals expressed reservations about the act, even in the first letter they refered to the unusual charges the state was contemplating.

It is important to note that for average people in Belgrade, the attack of the American Embassy was still fresh in memory. One may compare the photo below with the ones above.

In this attack, the embassy was seriously damaged and one person died. International terrorism? Actually only one person was ever arrested and he was charged with a much lighter crime than the Belgrade Six.

In the second letter written by intellectuals, they complain more directly about how the state turns a blind eye to right-wing, nationalist and even fascist violence but is quick and eager to throw the book at young leftists.

This is very relevant in the context of contemporary Serbian society where, for example, there is still much support for people who committed war crimes and genocide and there seems to be a concerted effort to whitewash these atrocities.

OTHER SECONDARY ISSUES IN THE CASE

In general there is a repressive mood in the Serbian state. On the one hand, the conservatives are battling on the social ground. On the other, the state is faced with growing worker protests. Protests have been banned in downtown Belgrade, as the authorities seek to control workers’ unrest. Other political events, such as this year’s Belgrade Pride parade where also banned. This parade had come under violent attack eight years ago when it was held the last time. Members of ASI supported the parade, placing them again against the ultra-conservatives.

In case after case, we can see the authorities attacking events which are not to their liking. They even tried to close down an art show featuring one of the imprisoned persons.

Finally, it is interesting to note that just before the arrest of the six, two of the anarchosyndicalists played in a new film entitled “The Old School of Capitalism“. The plot of the film revolves around workers’ struggles and features some situations which are all too real in Serbia – ie, some place is bought up during privatization, the owner milks it for all it is worth and then disappears without paying anybody. The anarchosyndicalists play… anarchosyndicalists. There they represent a potentially radical force which can pursuade workers to pursue a different course of action.

Although this film is fiction, it gives us a good hint at what the authorities were scared of. Both in the film, as in real life, the anarchists must be gotten rid of to perserve the status quo.

INTERNATIONAL PROTESTS

As soon as the news of the arrests became known, comrades from around the world, from the International Workers Association and other organizations, as well as concerned individuals, started to protest.

In the first two months, over 40 protests were held around the world, mostly pickets in front of embassies. Thousands of mail protests were also sent.

WHAT’S NEXT

A round table informational event / discussion was held in Belgrade and probably infotours and benefits will be organized in different cities around the world.

The Six are to be kept in custody until their trial, which may start in the spring.

In the meanwhile, we are trying to attract more attention to this case and support for the comrades.