BRUSSELS – The Party of European Socialists issued a statement in which it expressed concern for student Bogdan Jovičić, “whose life is currently at serious risk due to his detention”. The party urged that Jovičić’s “safety and health be treated as an urgent priority”.
Jovičić, a second-year student of the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad, was detained in August and charged with violent behaviour at a public gathering. He is suspected of participating in the demolition of the offices of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad in mid-August, in a dramatic escalation of the protests nationwide, which was a reaction to the previous violence against the protesters.
After the court extended his detention for another month, Jovičić began a hunger strike. As he wrote in an open letter, he did this to “prove the injustice that is carried out on everyone who thinks differently from the regime, and especially the injustice suffered by students”.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Jovičić was transferred to a hospital, but the institutions did not confirm this for some time, creating confusion.
The photos also surfaced of Jovičić attending his father’s funeral while arrested, his legs in handcuffs. The photos in particular triggered an angry reaction from the public, and multiple protests in support of Jovičić were held accross Serbia.
“We strongly condemn the ongoing crackdown on student-led protests in Serbia and the increasingly authoritarian measures taken by the government of Aleksandar Vučić. These measures are an attack to democracy and a systematic dismantling of fundamental human rights, and above all an attack to the right to freedom of expression”, Party of European Socialists stated.
The statement adds that growing student movement is a vital force of resistance against authoritarianism.
“These young people are rising up against repression and demanding a Serbia where freedom, truth, and justice prevail. Their struggle is not only legitimate, but also essential for the future of democratic society in the region. We call for the protection of all detained students, including access to medical care and transparent conditions of detention”, the statement concludes.
