As members of the academic and artistic community we are reaching out to you with serious concerns regarding the inclusion of the film Not In My Country in the DOCVILLE film festival programme. The film, which was financed by KU Leuven[1] and hatched by KU Leuven professor Peter Tom Jones, claims to investigate the Serbian population’s standpoint on the lithium mining project in the Jadar Valley. A rare example of a lithium mine being developed in a populated, agricultural, and ecologically sensitive area,[2] the Jadar project[3] was initiated by notorious global mining giant Rio Tinto and the Serbian government. The screening of Not In My Country coincides with massive peaceful student-led protests[4],[5] against Serbia’s authoritarian,[6],[7] corrupt, and lethal regime.[8] Despite their unprecedented scale, these historic protests still have not received due media attention in Western Europe. Although the film was obviously shot before the current events, its makers must have been aware of the existence of numerous grassroots initiatives throughout Serbia, trying – despite the overwhelming odds – to call a halt to extractivist projects that do not benefit the local population. But in its blind zeal to promote lithium as the sole solution for sustainable green energy in the EU, Not in My Country has failed to sincerely engage with the social, environmental and political implications of lithium mining.[9] We are bewildered as to why a festival like DOCVILLE, – which supposedly promulgates author-driven contemporary documentary cinema – would choose to screen this film, which so brazenly advances the agendas of a mining corporation and an autocratic regime, and smothers the voices of those most affected.
Aligning with an authoritarian regime
As we wrote, the release of Not In My Country comes at a critical moment, coinciding with studentled protests and university blockades across Serbia, rooted in non-violent methods and calling for corruption-free democratic rule. The movement was sparked by the collapse of a newly restored concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, which killed 15 people, including children. Just months earlier, the reconstruction had been celebrated with extravagant government fanfare, making the tragedy a glaring symbol of corruption and systemic failure. Initially downplayed by authorities, the incident ignited widespread public outrage, fuelling student-led protests demanding accountability and structural change[10],[11] from the state and its institutions. Meanwhile, president Aleksandar Vučić has increasingly been asserting himself as an autocratic leader, accused of prioritising corporate interests, maintaining ties with organised crime, suppressing democratic movements and silencing dissent. As students face violent attacks,[12],[13],[14] false imprisonment, and are targeted by government officials in the state-controlled media, Not In My Country uncritically provides a platform for government representatives to promote their agenda. Along the way, it also omits crucial legal context, including proven irregularities in Rio Tinto’s approval process.[15] In a particularly telling scene, Jones visits the imposing Palace of Serbia for a friendly chat with Dubravka Đedović Handanović, Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy. From their comfortable salmon-coloured armchairs the pair discuss what Jones calls the “very strange protests” against the Jadar project. No mention of state-sponsored violence; the only violence they allude to is attributed to the protestors, thereby discrediting the many peaceful grassroots initiatives that persist throughout Serbia – despite the fear of retaliation from a disproportionately stronger opponent.
Promoting corporate interests
Not only does Not In My Country offer itself as a mouthpiece to state propaganda, it also echoes the corporate interests of Rio Tinto, buttressing its strategic lobbying efforts for lithium mining. Lithium extraction follows a pattern of neocolonial economic exploitation,[16] where corporate profits take precedence over the rights and environmental well-being of local communities. Not In My Country reinforces a neocolonial and extractivist narrative by masquerading as climate activism. The filmmakers’ green energy aspirations are equated with progress and sustainability, which are in turn embodied by lithium, which is then associated with Rio Tinto[17]. Must we therefore infer that the refusal of the people of Serbia to allow the plundering and potential destruction of their country’s natural resources means that they are simply against sustainable energy and progress? Downplaying the mass opposition of citizens,[18],[19],[20] scientists,[21] and environmental organisations,[22] the film delegitimises their environmental and democratic struggle as a “conspiracy theory”, fueled by “foreign interference”. In a scene introduced by wistful accordion music, Rio Tinto’s Country Head for Serbia Marijanti Babić gives Jones a guided tour of the newspaper clippings and printed screenshots adorning the ‘fake news wall’ in the Rio Tinto information centre in Loznica. It begs the question why Jones chooses to spend disproportionately more time on debunking what he labels an “organised disinformation campaign” than on Rio Tinto’s well-documented history of environmental[23] and cultural heritage damage[24] and of labour and human rights violations.[25] By systematically presenting a one-sided corporate viewpoint, Not In My Country ultimately functions as a lobbying tool rather than a documentary: a documercial.[26]
Reproducing colonial tropes
In order to drive home his pro-industry message, Jones employs textbook strategies of a current affairs documentary programme, while at the same time obscuring his own positionality and the power relations he is entangled in. When we first encounter him in the film, he is sitting behind a desk in a pristine white office, his face turned away from the camera as he watches Reuters footage of anti-Rio Tinto protests. A female voice-over introduces him as a “climate expert and environmental scientist” – not as the film’s deviser or narrator, but as an observer character. Once his neutrality has been established, from an authoritative scientist he will bloom into the film’s ultimate arbiter of truth. As the voice of reason, his portrayal aligns with that of the Serbian advocates of lithium mining, who are presented as objective, profitable, job-creating, economically successful, bravely warding off Chinese and Russian influence. In stark contrast stand the Serbian citizens who speak out against Rio Tinto and their government. They are framed almost exclusively as uneducated and uninformed ‘peasants’ and pro-Putin conspiracy theorists. Their characterisation reinforces balkanist Western stereotypes of Serbs as violent, simple, unreasonable people, not yet completely embracing civilization[27] – read: the EU’s economic agenda. In its construction of a one-sided narrative in which an ‘enlightened’ Western-European expert surveys a supposedly backward land ripe for extraction, Not in My Country is eerily reminiscent of 20th-century propaganda films disguised as documentaries that sought to legitimise the extraction of natural resources in colonised territories such as Belgian Congo. Last year, DOCVILLE opened with Johan Grimonprez’s Oscar-nominated Soundtrack to a Coup d’État. The film zooms in on how the Belgian and US governments conspired to assassinate Patrice Lumumba for fear of losing their grip on Congolese uranium. Apparently, DOCVILLE sees nothing wrong with simultaneously giving a platform to Jones’ films which seem to imply that raw materials of ‘foreign’ nations are up for grabs to the ‘civilised’ world. Seeing as, last year, the festival also chose to screen Peter Tom Jones’ previous film, Europe’s Mining Renaissance, despite accusations by dozens of international organisations of aggressive pro-industry greenwashing.[28]
Documentaries have long been a rare space for giving voice to the silenced and marginalised. Yet, documercials like Not In My Country advance the creeping influence of corporations, which are already shaping academia through the hybrid practices of university funding. If we allow this influence to grow unchecked, we risk losing the legitimacy of platforms such as DOCVILLE. We therefore urge all those involved in the film’s creation and distribution to take their responsibility – especially at a time when lithium projects in Portugal are under corruption investigation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office due to environmental concerns and corruption[29],[30] and when German MPs are calling for an immediate moratorium[31],[32] on the German-Serbian lithium agreement.
A day after the publication of this letter, DOCVILLE and the makers of Not in My Country decided to cancel the planned screening of the film. On its website, DOCVILLE announced it cannot “guarantee the serenity of the screening and the debate”. On LinkedIn, Peter Tom Jones cites a “hostile and toxic atmosphere” and “a campaign of harassment, intimidation and death threats”. Lacking further information, we cannot speak to the nature of these threats and, clearly, we condemn any form of violence. Still, the painful irony of self-victimisation is not lost on us – considering the rising level of violence Serbian citizens are faced with on a daily basis for exercising their democratic rights and demanding accountability. In addition, the choice to cancel is framed by Jones as “a blow to the freedom of speech in Belgium”. In Belgium, the right to free speech coexists with the right to peaceful protest. Jones and his collaborators had both the freedom and the funds to make this film. That does not mean, however, that their work cannot or should not be contested.
First signatories-
Alain Platel, theatre maker
Aernout Mik, artist
Adriana Parente La Selva, theatre maker, researcher at Ghent University
An van Dienderen, filmmaker, lecturer at KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Annelies Van Assche, postdoctoral researcher (Ghent University)
Arkadi Zaides, choreographer, PhD researcher, UAntwerp, UGent, Royal Conservatoire Antwerp, KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Bas Devos, filmmaker, lecturer at KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Davide Paolillo, composer, music theory teacher at Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp – Drama Department
Danielle Van Zuijlen, Kunsthal Gent coordination team / artistic coordinator development
Dragana Radanović, artist, visual storyteller, and researcher at Media Culture & Policy Lab at KU Leuven
Dušica Dražić, artist, curator
Elisa De Schepper, coordinator KASKcinema
Ellen Vermeulen, filmmaker / docent, KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent en RITCS
Florian Bieber, Professor of Southeast European History and Politics, Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz
Hilde D’haeyere, Coordinator Master Film, KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Igor Bezinović, filmmaker
Jana Vasiljević, artist and artistic coordinator platform at Kunsthal Gent
Jeanne Laperrouze, political and policy advisor
Jelena Jureša, artist and researcher at KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Jasper Rigole, artist and researcher at KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Johan Grimonprez, filmmaker, lecturer at KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Jonas Vanderschueren, postdoctoral researcher at Cultural Studies KU Leuven
Julien Chapelle, Coordinator SoundImageCulture
Kristien Hens, professor of bioethics
Lena Imeraj, professor/postdoc at Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Lennart Soberon, programmer at KASKcinema/researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Lora Verheecke, expert on EU lobbying
Louis Mosar, RIPPLE, research in political philosophy and ethics, KU Leuven
Luca Mattei, filmmaker
Lucas Catherine, author
Martina Petrović, artist and artistic coordinator at Hectolitre space, Brussels
Mathilde Villeneuve, artistic director Kunstencentrum BUDA
Max Pinckers, photographer
Michiel De Cleene, artist and researcher
Mladen Bundalo, artist, author and filmmaker
Nina de Vroome, filmmaker, film critic and teacher, KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Nina Henkens, coordinator Kif Kif vzw
Petra Van Brabandt, head of research Sint Lucas Antwerp (in her own name)
Peter Vermeersch, professor of politics, KU Leuven
Pierre-Louis Cassou, film producer
Pieter Boulogne, professor at KU Leuven
Pieter Vermeulen, curator, art critic and teacher, St. Lucas Antwerp / PXL-MAD School of Arts Hasselt
Robbrecht Desmet, filmmaker & post-doctoral researcher
Robin Vanbesien, filmmaker / doctor in the arts at Sint Lucas Antwerp
Rosine Mbakam, filmmaker, researcher at UGent and KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Ruben Demasure, Art Cinema OFFoff Gent
Sibo Kanobana, assistant professor, Open Universiteit
Sofie Benoot, filmmaker, assistant professor at LUCA School of Arts
Srećko Horvat, philosopher, ISSA
Susanne Weck, artist/mediator
Thomas Bellinck, artist and researcher at UGent and KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Thomas Vertongen, docent, KASK & Conservatorium, School of Arts Ghent
Tijana Petrović, visual artist, MA student KU Leuven
Walter Zinzen, journalist
[1] Peter Tom Jones, ‘Statement about the Documentary “Not In My Country: Serbia’s Lithium Dilemma”’, SIM2, 4 February 2025 https://kuleuven.sim2.be/statement-about-the-documentary-not-in-my-country-serbias-lithium-dilemma/
[2] Dragana Đorđević and others, ‘The Influence of Exploration Activities of a Potential Lithium Mine to the Environment in Western Serbia’, Sci Rep, 14.1 (2024), p. 17090, doi:10.1038/s41598-024-68072-9 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382527180
[3] Jovan Rajić and others, ‘The Jadar Project, Serbia’, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, 2025 https://www.boell.de/en/2025/03/04/jadar-project-serbia-history-context-and-concerns
[4] Croatian Radiotelevision, ‘Labirint: Student Led Blockade in Serbia’, Labirint, February 2025 https://youtu.be/jNgI07JcGOE
[5] Ivana Sekularac and others, ‘How Serbia’s Students Turned Tragedy into a National Movement for Change’, Reuters, 14 February 2025 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/how-serbias-students-turned-tragedy-into-national-movement-change-2025-02-14/
[6] ‘“A Digital Prison”: Surveillance and the Suppression of Civil Society in Serbia’, Amnesty International Security Lab, 16 December 2024 https://securitylab.amnesty.org/latest/2024/12/a-digital-prison-surveillance-and-the-suppression-of-civil-society-in-serbia/
[7] Arthur Neslen, ‘Activist Opposed to Rio Tinto Lithium Mine Receives Anonymous Death Threats’, The Guardian, 22 August 2024, section Business https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/aug/22/activist-serbia-rio-tinto-lithium-mining-environment-death-threats
[8] Andi Hoxhaj, ‘Serbia is facing its largest-ever protest movement – why is Europe looking away?’ The Conversation, February 14 2025 https://theconversation.com/serbia-is-facing-its-largest-ever-protest-movement-why-is-europe-looking-away-249388
[9] Florian Bieber, ‘Pulling a fast one. The Lithium Deal between Serbia and the EU’, The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), 22 July 2024 https://www.biepag.eu/blog/pulling-a-fast-one-the-lithium-deal-between-serbia-and-the-eu
[10] Adriana Zaharijević, ‘Serbia’s Students Are Showing the World How to Restore Democratic Hope’, The Guardian, 6 February 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/06/serbias-students-showing-world-democratic-hope
[11] Iskra Krstić, ‘Three Months of Protests against Corruption and State Violence in Serbia – the Emergence of the Largest Student Movement in Europe’, Mašina English, 3 February 2025 https://www.masina.rs/eng/three-months-of-protests-against-corruption-and-state-violence-in-serbia-the-emergence-of-the-largest-student-movement-in-europe/
[12] Mašina, ‘Serbian Prime Minister Resigns After Ruling Party’s Hooligans Attack Students – Protest Announced at 4 PM’, Mašina English, 28 January 2025 https://www.masina.rs/eng/serbian-prime-minister-resigns-after-ruling-partys-hooligans-attack-students-protest-announced-at-4-pm/
[13] EWB, ‘Serbian PM Miloš Vučević Resigns Following the Latest Violent Attack on Protesting Students’, European Western Balkans, 28 January 2025 https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2025/01/28/serbian-pm-milos-vucevic-resigns-following-the-latest-violent-attack-on-protesting-students/
[14] Le Monde, ‘Serbian PM’s Resignation Fails to Quell Student Protests’, 29 January 2025 https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/01/29/serbian-pm-s-resignation-fails-to-quell-student-protests_6737553_4.html
[15] Dina Đorđević, ‘Leaked Emails: Rio Tinto Given Environmental Protection Conditions Without Expert Approval’, Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia, 7 February 2025 https://www.cins.rs/en/leaked-emails-rio-tinto-given-environmental-protection-conditions-without-expert-approval/
[16] Igor Todorović, ‘RERI: Rio Tinto divides up Jadar lithium project in Serbia to avoid overall environmental assessment’, Balkan Green Energy News, 10 October 2024 https://balkangreenenergynews.com/reri-rio-tinto-divides-up-jadar-lithium-project-in-serbia-to-avoid-overall-environmental-assessment/
[17] Gil Shochat, Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette ‘Rio Tinto says it’s a green mining giant. Investigation shows environmental gaps from Quebec to the Amazon’, CBC News, 24 March 2023 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/rio-tinto-quebec-amazon-bauxite-aluminum-1.7153444?fbclid=IwAR1OCR88H4SvKRk5qs4mJxzxdCjrFKb9sw7-KME78piU6aOt5q80srYmVkI
[18] Marton Dunai, ‘Serbian Protests Escalate over Proposed Lithium Mine’, Financial Times, 2 September 2024 https://www.ft.com/content/a916bcb8-a779-412f-8772-ea0f88f10bd9
[19] Marko Miletić, ‘Both the Profession and the People Have Clearly Said That They Are against Lithium Mining in Serbia’, Mašina English, 27 June 2024 https://www.masina.rs/eng/both-the-profession-and-the-people-have-clearly-said-that-they-are-against-lithium-mining-in-serbia/
[20] Jovana Gec, ‘Thousands Rally in Serbia Accusing Populist Government of Cracking down on Anti-Lithium Activists’, A. P. News, 1 September 2024 https://apnews.com/article/serbia-protest-pressure-activists-lithium-4473cabea150daf875a0f1b19a219e7d
[21] ‘Otvoreno pismo i zahtevi više od 140 naučnika povodom projekta “Jadar”’, Dnevni list Danas, 11 February 2025 https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/univerzitetski-naucnici-i-nastavnici-uputili-otvoreno-pismo-povodom-projekta-jadar/
[22] Planinarski savez Srbije, ‘Saopštenja povodom potencijalnog iskopavanja litijuma u dolini Jadra’, February 2025 https://pss.rs/saopstenja-povodom-potencijalnog-iskopavanja-litijuma-u-dolini-jadra/obavestenja/2025/
[23] Melanie Burton, ‘Investigation finds Rio Tinto legacy Bougainville mine poses life-threatening risks’, Reuters, 6 December 2024 https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/investigation-finds-rio-tinto-legacy-bougainville-mine-poses-life-threatening-2024-12-06/
[24] Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia,‘Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia’, Law Council of Australia https://lawcouncil.au/resources/submissions/inquiry-into-the-destruction-of-46-000-year-old-caves-at–the-juukan-gorge-in-the-pilbara-region-of-western-australia
[25] Al Jazeera ‘Rio Tinto employees report rise in bullying, sexual assault’ Al Jazeera, 20 November 2024 https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/11/20/rio-tinto-employees-report-rise-in-bullying-sexual-assault
[26] To address concerns about Not In My Country, the film makers and DOCVILLE festival organisers have planned a post-screening debate on the question of ‘ethical mining’. But considering the tendentious nature of the film and the fact that the debate panel following the film’s most recent screening prominently featured a representative of Rio Tinto, we cannot help but wonder: is their intention truly to hold a fair and democratic conversation or this is yet another thinly veiled follow-up effort to promote lithium mining to a Belgian audience?
[27] In her magnum opus Imagining the Balkans, Maria Todorova dismantles Western stereotypes of the Balkans as inherently violent and chaotic, exposing these narratives as politically motivated constructs. – Maria Todorova, Imagining the Balkans, Oxford University Press, 1997.
[28] Luc Vanheerentals,’Peter Tom Jones Onder Vuur Voor Docu Over Europese Mijnbouw’, De Wereld Morgen, 10 April 2024 https://www.dewereldmorgen.be/artikel/2024/04/10/peter-tom-jones-onder-vuur-voor-docu-over-europese-mijnbouw/
[29] ‘Portuguese PM António Costa Resigns amid Corruption Probe’, POLITICO, 7 November 2023 https://www.politico.eu/article/portugal-prime-minister-antonio-costa-resigns/
[30] Antonia Zimmermann and Camille Gijs, ‘Portugal’s Corruption Scandal Spells Trouble for EU’s Critical Minerals Hunt’, POLITICO, 14 November 2023 https://www.politico.eu/article/portugal-antonio-costa-lithium-scandal-spells-trouble-for-brussels-critical-minerals-hunt/
[31] Mašina, ‘The German Left Calls for an Immediate Moratorium on the German-Serbian Lithium Agreement’, Mašina English, 16 December 2024 https://www.masina.rs/eng/the-german-left-calls-for-an-immediate-moratorium-on-the-german-serbian-lithium-agreement/
[32] ‘Abbau für E-Auto-Produktion: „Lithiumkreide gefressen“ – Scharfe Kritik an deutschem Vorgehen in Serbien – WELT’, DIE WELT, 4 December 2024 https://www.welt.de/politik/article254732628/Abbau-fuer-E-Auto-Produktion-Lithiumkreide-gefressen-Scharfe-Kritik-an-deutschem-Vorgehen-in-Serbien.html
Authoritarian Regime and Corruption
Serbia is facing its largest-ever protest movement – why is Europe looking away?
The Conversations
Author:
Date Published: 14/02/2025
The article discusses Serbia’s largest student-led protest movement to date. Despite the movement’s scale, European nations have largely remained silent, raising concerns about Serbia’s growing democratic backsliding. Some argue this lack of response is tied to Vučić’s August 2024 deal with the EU to supply lithium for electric vehicle production—a move that also sparked mass protests over its transparency and the potential for irreversible environmental damage to Serbia’s Jadar Valley.
Serbia’s Protests Are a Call Against Kleptocracy – The EU Must Seize the Opportunity
The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Authors: Tena Prelec , Sonja Stojanović Gajić
Date Published: 14/03/2025
The article examines the ongoing protests in Serbia, which stem from public outrage over corruption, repression, and state capture under the Serbian government and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). It highlights how the EU has remained largely silent on the government’s crackdown on civil society and environmental activists, despite documented smear campaigns, surveillance, and bogus investigations.
Labirint: Student Led Blockade in Serbia
Croatian Radiotelevision
Authors: Tena Prelec , Sonja Stojanović Gajić
Date Published: 21/02/2025
After the roof collapse on November 1, 2024, at the Novi Sad bus terminal, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people, a wave of dissatisfaction erupted among students and citizens of Serbia. By taking to the streets in large numbers, they express their discontent, protest against corruption, and demand accountability. They have locked themselves in at universities, blocked streets, and the number of people supporting them is growing every day…
Serbia’s student protests are transforming the country, march by march
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Authors: Stefan Günther, Andreas Ernst, Marko Risovic (videos), Kamerades (photos)
Date Published: 13/03/2025
After a tragic railway station collapse in Novi Sad killed 15 people, grassroots student-led protests erupted across Serbia, demanding accountability from a corrupt and autocratic government. Rooted in peaceful protest, the movement has grown into a nationwide call for change, condemning the lack of independent investigations, as the judiciary and police remain under state control. With no true separation of powers, students continue to mobilize through occupations, blockades, and marches, challenging a system that suppresses justice and transparency.
Serbia did not fulfil its commitments to free and fair elections, say MEPs
European Parliament
Date Published: 08/02/2024
European Parliament MEPs criticized Serbia for failing to fulfill its obligations to uphold free and fair elections, highlighting concerns about the democratic process in the country.
Why are students protesting in Serbia? | The Take
Al Jazeera English
Date Published: 17/03/2025
Al Jazeera reports on the ongoing protests in Serbia and allegations that authorities used a sonic weapon against demonstrators. Protesters describe experiencing extreme discomfort and disorientation, while government officials deny deploying any such device. The segment includes expert opinions on the potential dangers of sonic weapons and discusses broader concerns about increasing police repression in Serbia.
Serbian Prime Minister resigns after ruling party’s hooligans attack students
Mašina
Date Published: 28/01/2025
The article discusses the resignation of Serbia’s Prime Minister following violent attacks on students by individuals associated with the ruling party. During one such attack, one female student sustained severe physical injuries; she was kicked and punched. Other students managed to escape with minor injuries
Philosopher Boris Buden on student protests in Serbia
Interview by: Nemanja Babić
Camera and editing by: Romana Vujasinović
Date Published: 04/03/2025
Buden: “Europe is unable to translate what is happening in Serbia into the language of its decadent realpolitik, into the language of European interests, which are the interests of European elites. What is happening in Serbia—the student rebellion and the support of the people, which the students so clearly have—is not something taking place within the political system and within the state. On the contrary, it is something socially constitutive. In other words, what the students are doing now is that they are creating society itself. And that is the creative moment. They are giving meaning to politics—because the meaning of politics consists precisely in creating society. Society is not something given.
It would be much better if all of Europe were looking at Serbia now and trying to understand what is happening there. Because what has been happening in Serbia in recent months is far more important than what is happening in Europe. That is why there is silence about it. Europe does not forget Serbia—Europe hopes it can forget itself. And to forget itself means to forget its fundamental problems. Europe is not functioning! But those who are aware of this are the students in Serbia, not the European political elites. That is the problem.
The students of Serbia show the world the power of democracy
The Guardian
Author: Adriana Zaharijević
Date Published: 06/02/2025
The article highlights the student-led protests in Serbia, emphasizing the role of youth in defending democracy and demanding accountability from the government amid growing concerns over corruption and authoritarianism.
The Future of the Protests and Democracy in Serbia
The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Author: Florian Bieber, Marko Kmezić, Lura Pollozhani
Date Published: 14/02/2025
For three months, tens of thousands of citizens, led by students from all over Serbia, have been protesting in demonstrations, blockades, vigils and other actions throughout the country. They constitute the most serious challenge to the thirteen-year rule of Aleksandar Vučić. The outcome of the protests is not just crucial for Serbia, but for the entire region, as Vučić has been a disruptive force with his support for Serb nationalist parties and interference in neighboring states. These massive protests also hold lessons for challengers to autocratic rule elsewhere. They fundamentally differ from previous demonstrations against the Vučić government over the past decade – in terms of scale, countrywide scope and tactics, as well as the students’ central role in them.
European Public Prosecutor’s Office Investigates Misuse of EU Funds in Novi Sad Railway Station Case
European Western Balkans
Date Published: 14/03/2025
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched an investigation into the alleged misuse of EU funds in the reconstruction of Novi Sad’s railway station. The project, part of Serbia’s broader infrastructure modernization efforts, is suspected of financial irregularities and possible corruption. The investigation raises concerns about transparency in Serbia’s management of EU financial aid and could impact future funding allocations.
Calls in Serbia for independent investigation into claims of a sonic device attack at peaceful rally
CNN
Date Published: 17/03/2025
CNN investigates allegations that Serbian authorities used a sonic device against protesters. The report examines video footage and testimonies from demonstrators who describe sudden, painful bursts of sound. Experts interviewed suggest that such technology exists but remains controversial for crowd control. Serbian officials deny the claims, but opposition leaders accuse the government of deploying increasingly repressive measures to stifle dissent.
On this day of protest, Belgrade is a powder keg, but just as important is how the president reacts – now and tomorrow
The Guardian
Author: Brent Sandler
Date Published: 15/03/2025
This opinion piece highlights the scale of recent anti-government protests in Serbia, where thousands have taken to the streets in Belgrade and beyond. The author questions whether public discontent will translate into political change, given President Vučić’s firm grip on power. The piece also critiques the EU’s muted response, arguing that European leaders are reluctant to pressure Vučić due to geopolitical and economic interests.
Serbian Authorities Are Artificially Constructing Narratives About the Overthrow of the State Through USAID
European Western Balkans
Author: Aleksandar Ivković
Date Published: 01/03/2025
The article explores claims that Serbian authorities are spreading conspiracy narratives about foreign interference to discredit domestic opposition. Government officials allege that USAID and other Western organizations are secretly funding efforts to overthrow President Vučić. Critics argue that these accusations serve as a distraction from corruption and democratic backsliding, while also justifying increased repression of civil society and independent media.
Serbia: Sonic weapons used to break up a Belgrade protest?
Deutsche Welle (DW)
Author: Sanja Kljajić
Date Published: 18/03/2025
DW investigates claims that Serbian security forces deployed a sonic weapon to disperse anti-government protesters in Belgrade. Witnesses report experiencing sudden pain and confusion, while medical experts suggest that such technology could cause long-term hearing damage. The Serbian government denies the accusations, but human rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation into the alleged use of sound-based crowd control tactics.
Did the Serbian Authorities Use Sound Weapons Against Peaceful Protesters in Belgrade?
European Western Balkans
Author: Aleksandar Ivković
Date Published: 17/03/2025
The article examines mounting evidence that Serbian authorities may have used sound-based weapons against protesters. Activists and journalists cite video recordings and witness testimonies describing symptoms consistent with exposure to high-frequency sound waves. While officials insist no such devices were deployed, opposition leaders argue the incident marks an alarming escalation in state repression. The report also compares the situation in Serbia to other cases of alleged sonic weapon use worldwide.
Amnesty International report on Serbia’s rights violations
Amnesty International
Date Published: 12/2024
Amnesty International’s report condemns the Serbian government for its continued human rights violations, with a focus on repression against activists, journalists, and the suppression of dissent regarding the lithium mining project—”Since 2021, the country has seen numerous anti-government protests, each met with harsher crackdown by the authorities. Following country-wide mass protests in July and August 2024 against lithium mining and Serbia’s agreement with the European Union (EU) on access to raw materials, the government assault on civil society dramatically escalated.”
The President, the Soccer Hooligans and an Underworld ‘House of Horrors’
The New York Times
Author: Robert F. Worth
Date Published: 03/05/2023
Original Page: HERE
The article addresses the arrest of Veljko Belivuk, a notorious Serbian gangster with ties to the country’s government, highlighting the blurred lines between state power and organized crime. In early 2021, President Aleksandar Vucic’s televised announcement of Belivuk’s capture raised concerns about the government’s connection to criminal networks. The article explores the gang’s violent activities, including murders and drug trafficking, and its possible links to influential figures within Vucic’s administration. This case serves as a disturbing example of Serbia’s descent into a mafia-style state.
Serbian authorities using spyware to illegally surveil activists, report finds
The Guardian
Author: John Henley
Date Published: 16/12/2024
A report from Amnesty International reveals that Serbian authorities have been using spyware to illegally monitor journalists, anti-corruption campaigners, environmental activists opposing harmful government backed projects, and dissidents critical of government policies. The spyware, which includes tools from the Israeli company Cellebrite, allows the government to intercept communications and track the movements of its targets.The report underscores concerns about the use of technology to stifle opposition and the negative impact on free speech.
Activist opposed to Rio Tinto lithium mine receives anonymous death threats
The Guardian
Author: Arthur Neslen
Date Published: 22/08/2024
The article reports on an environmental activist in Serbia who has been receiving anonymous death threats due to their opposition to Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project. The threats have raised concerns about the safety of activists and the increasing tension surrounding the controversial mining project, which has faced significant public resistance due to environmental concerns.
Serbia monitors government critics with spyware
Deutsche Welle
Author: Nemanja Rujević
Date Published: 22/12/2024
A December 2024 report by Amnesty International reveals that Serbia’s intelligence agency, the BIA, has been installing spyware on the phones of journalists and activists. The agency reportedly uses Israeli company Cellebrite’s software to unlock devices and then installs spyware like NoviSpy, enabling access to contacts, screenshots, and remote control of microphones and cameras. These actions coincide with widespread protests against government corruption and incompetence, particularly following a fatal train station collapse in Novi Sad.
Israeli Tech Company Cellebrite Bans Serbia After Spyware Used Against Country’s Journalists, Activists
Haaretz
Author: Omer Benjakob
Date Published: 27/02/2025
Original Page: HERE
Cellebrite, an Israeli tech firm, has banned Serbia from using its software after reports revealed that Serbian authorities had used Cellebrite’s spyware to target journalists and activists. The spyware was allegedly used to spy on these individuals, raising concerns over privacy violations. This move by Cellebrite follows growing international scrutiny over the use of Israeli tech for surveillance purposes in authoritarian regimes.
Serbian NGOs Accuse Govt of Pressure Over Police Raids
Balkan Insight
Author: Milica Stojanović
Date Published: February 25/02/2025
Serbian police raided several reputable NGOs linked to USAID funding, causing concern over the targeting of civil society organizations. Authorities claim the raids were due to suspicions of misuse of foreign funds, while critics view it as an attempt to stifle organizations that criticize the government. The raids are part of an ongoing pattern of governmental pressure against independent groups and activists in Serbia.
Cellebrite zero-day exploit used to target phone of Serbian student activist
Amnesty International
Date Published: 28/02/2025
Amnesty International’s Security Lab, in collaboration with its European Regional Office, has revealed the misuse of Cellebrite’s technology to hack into the phone of a Serbian student activist. This attack mirrors tactics previously documented in Amnesty’s December 2024 report, “A Digital Prison.” Despite public outcry for reform, Serbia’s authorities continue surveillance on civil society. Cellebrite, in response, suspended its products’ use in Serbia after Amnesty’s findings, though further abuses have been discovered.
Report Lists Turkey and Serbia Among Europe’s Worst Media Freedom Violators
Balkan Insight
Author: Hamdi Firat
Date Published: 05/03/2025
Council of Europe report ranks Turkey and Serbia among the worst-offending countries in Europe in terms of violating freedom of the press and harassing journalists.
source in Dutch:
Grootste betoging ooit in Servië: meer dan 300.000 mensen eisen aftreden president Vucic
VRT
Authors: Lina El Bakkali, Stef Van Chaze, Belga
Date Published: 15/03/2025
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Belgrade to protest against President Vučić’s government, denouncing corruption, electoral fraud, and authoritarianism. The demonstration, one of the largest in recent years, reflects growing public frustration with Serbia’s political direction. Protesters are demanding fair elections, judicial independence, and an end to police brutality. The report also notes the European Union’s cautious stance on the unrest.
source in Dutch:
The students of Serbia show the world the power of democracy
De Groene Amsterdammer
Author: Ingrid Gercama
Date Published: 24/02/2025
Original Page: HERE
The article explores leaderless resistance movements, analyzing their structure, effectiveness, and the challenges they face in achieving their objectives without centralized leadership.
source in Dutch:
Apolitical as political
De Groene Amsterdammer
Author: Slavoj Žižek
Date Published: 24/02/2025
Original Page: HERE
This article examines the phenomenon of apolitical stances being used as a form of political expression, discussing how disengagement from traditional politics can itself be a political
Reproducing Colonial Tropes
Wealth of the World: Congo Harvest, 1950
Film excerpts
In its construction of a one-sided narrative in which an ‘enlightened’ Western-European expert surveys a supposedly backward land ripe for extraction, Not in My Country is eerily reminiscent of 20th-century propaganda films disguised as documentaries that sought to legitimise the extraction of natural resources in colonised territories such as Belgian Congo.
The EU’s Green Deal could propagate climate colonialism
Al Jazeera
Author: Myriam Douo
Date Published: 23/06/2021
This opinion article critiques the EU’s Green Deal, arguing that it could inadvertently contribute to climate colonialism, where wealthier nations exploit the natural resources of less developed countries in the name of combating climate change.
Mining in the Western Balkans – The Rise of Dangerous Transactionalism
Transnational Institute
Author: Vedran Džihić
Date Published: 11/03/2025
Against the background of highly dynamic and evolving critical raw materials and mining debates in the Western Balkans, there is a need for more facts, figures, insights and analysis of the issue. This is why the following policy brief maps significant aspects and dilemmas of mining projects in the Western Balkans. It offers insights into the current dynamics and provides context to mining in the Western Balkans today, focusing on major contradictions behind the critical raw materials and mining debates. The paper offers several preliminary conclusions and some food for thought for further studies and critical engagement around the topic of mining in the region.
Water predators: The industry behind green energy
Transnational Institute
Author: Darko Lugnas
Date Published: 13/07/2023
This article delves into the role of large corporations in the green energy transition, highlighting how industries behind renewable energy projects, such as lithium mining, are exploiting vulnerable communities and ecosystems.
source in Serbian:
Jelena Vasiljević: On the film about the Jadar project—oversimplified, inaccurate, and lacking experts from Serbia
N1 Info
Author(s): Predrag V. Popović
Date Published: 07/02/2025
Anthropologist Jelena Vasiljević was interviewed by Peter Tom Jones for the film Not In My Country. However, after viewing the rough cut, she requested that her footage be removed and that she not be included in the final version. Unfortunately, this request was not honored.
In this article, Vasiljević critiques the documentary about the Jadar lithium mining project, arguing that it oversimplifies the issue, is inaccurate, and lacks professional depth. She emphasizes that the film ignores important facts and perspectives.
Milo Rau: It’s now or never for resistance
Mašina
Author: Milo Rau
Date Published: 28/10/2024
Renowned Swiss theater director Milo Rau highlights the Rio Tinto case in Serbia as part of a broader, intensifying global struggle over raw materials, where industries use greenwashing rhetoric to justify exploitative projects. The resistance against the Jadar lithium mine reflects a multifaceted battle—against environmental destruction, corporate greed, government complicity, and even internal contradictions within the leftist movement.
In Serbia, the EU’s Green Deal is fuelling pollution and human rights abuses
The Transnational Institute (TNI)
Author: Teun Dominicus
Date Published: 21/11/2024
Lithium mining in Serbia pits locals against corporate giants like Rio Tinto and the EU’s green ambitions. With water supplies at stake and authoritarian tactics on the rise, the conflict in the Jadar River valley reveals the human cost of the energy transition.
source in Dutch:
Peter Tom Jones under fire for documentary on European mining
De Wereld Morgen
Author(s): Luc Vanheerentals
Date Published: 10/04/2024
The article reports on the criticism faced by Peter Tom Jones regarding his 2024 documentary on European mining practices. Critics argue that the film presents a biased perspective, sparking debates about the portrayal of mining in the media.
source in Dutch:
Does Europe’s Ministry of Mining Propaganda Lie in Leuven?
De Wereld Morgen
Author(s): Robin Roels
Date Published: 03/02/2025
The opinion piece “Ligt Europa’s Ministerie van Mijnbouw-propaganda in Leuven?” critiques the involvement of KU Leuven, particularly through the film Not in My Country, in promoting mining activities in Europe. It highlights how the film portrays local communities opposing the Jadar lithium mine in Serbia as being influenced by Russian disinformation and as obstacles to climate-saving initiatives by mining companies. The article argues that this narrative downplays the environmental destruction, corruption, and socio-economic consequences associated with mining, presenting a one-sided view that benefits the industry. Additionally, it raises ethical concerns about the close ties between academic institutions like KU Leuven and major mining corporations, suggesting that such relationships may compromise the impartiality expected of scientific research.
(To) Mine or Not (to) Mine
Will the rush for lithium crush EU standards? The case of the Western Balkans
Author: The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG)
Date Published: 04/12/2024
Event report: HERE
The Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) is a group of policy analysts, scholars and researchers, established as a joint initiative of the European Fund for the Balkans and the Centre for Southeast European Studies of the University of Graz.