{"id":19723,"date":"2026-01-27T15:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/?p=19723"},"modified":"2026-01-27T15:50:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:50:30","slug":"instead-of-media-smear-campaigns-the-prosecutors-office-should-investigate-monument-desecration-in-belgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/en\/instead-of-media-smear-campaigns-the-prosecutors-office-should-investigate-monument-desecration-in-belgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Instead of Media Smear Campaigns, the Prosecutor\u2019s Office Should Investigate Monument Desecration in Belgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The claims made in the aforementioned articles that place the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in a different context are entirely false and have no basis in fact. For years, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights has consistently advocated and worked for clean public spaces\u2014clean streets, walls, and squares. Together with citizens, we have removed offensive murals and graffiti from public spaces that spread hatred and incite intolerance and violence. We have insisted on the removal of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/bhs\/nova-vlast-u-beogradu-da-ocisti-obraz-glavnog-grada-srbije\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mural<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladi\u0107 in central Belgrade, submitted more than 300 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/en\/inicijativa-podnela-prijave-za-uklanjanje-vise-od-300-murala-i-grafita-posvecenih-ratku-mladicu\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> concerning similar murals and graffiti, demanded the cancellation of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/en\/cultural-institution-cuprija-to-cancel-the-competition-for-creating-a-mural-of-war-criminal-nebojsa-pavkovic\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">public call<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the creation of a mural of the convicted war criminal Neboj\u0161a Pavkovi\u0107 in \u0106uprija, and painted over nationalist <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/n1info.rs\/vesti\/prekreceni-novi-nacionalisticki-grafiti-u-parku-miticeva-rupa-na-slaviji\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">graffiti<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a park at Slavija. For these reasons, we call on the competent authorities to investigate the cases of vandalism involving the painting of hate messages on the monuments to Gavrilo Princip, Borislav Peki\u0107, and Dimitrije Tucovi\u0107, as well as on the tomb of the National Heroes at Kalemegdan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We interpret the aforementioned tabloid articles as yet another in a series of attacks against our organization, as well as against all civil society organizations that consistently strive for a just and democratic society. It is deeply ironic that those who support and\/or fail to sanction the defacement of walls and facades with images of war criminals are now accusing the Youth Initiative for Human Rights of desecrating monuments to significant historical figures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, this is undoubtedly part of an ongoing campaign against students and the student movement, which for more than a year has been exposed to threats and violence by the ruling regime and media outlets close to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This case underscores the vital role of free and professional media in society.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For these reasons, we wish to draw attention to the fact that the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/n1info.rs\/vesti\/specijalne-izvestiteljke-un-pritsici-united-group-media\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United Nations (UN)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association have alerted the authorities in Serbia to alarming allegations of pressure and targeting of journalists from United Media, as well as the television networks operating within its framework\u2014N1 and Nova\u2014by state officials, pro-government media, and individuals connected to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. They also referred to an audio recording of a conversation between the CEO of United Group and the Director General of Telekom Srbija, which indicates intentions to undermine United Group\u2019s media operations and points to the direct influence of the President of the Republic of Serbia on personnel changes and the company\u2019s business operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We recall that in October 2025, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights submitted <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/en\/yihr-calls-on-uk-regulators-to-investigate-allegations-of-media-suppression-involving-british-firm-in-serbia\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">complaints<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to numerous regulatory bodies and competent institutions in the United Kingdom, calling on them to respond urgently to alarming allegations concerning the involvement of the British investment firm BC Partners\u2014 the majority owner of United Group\u2014 in undermining media freedoms in Serbia, based on the aforementioned audio recording that was leaked to the public.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Youth Initiative for Human Rights advocates and works for clean public space\u2014both physical and media space\u2014free from hatred, repression, and disinformation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On 26 January 2026, the online portals Kurir, Republika, and Novosti published articles in which the Youth Initiative for Human Rights was indirectly accused of vandalism, namely of desecrating the monument to Gavrilo Princip in Belgrade. In accordance with the Law on Public Information and Media of the Republic of Serbia, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights submitted a denial to the media outlets that misled the public.","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[57,1479],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Instead of Media Smear Campaigns, the Prosecutor\u2019s Office Should Investigate Monument Desecration in Belgrade - YIHR.rs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/yihr.rs\/en\/instead-of-media-smear-campaigns-the-prosecutors-office-should-investigate-monument-desecration-in-belgrade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Instead of Media Smear Campaigns, the Prosecutor\u2019s Office Should Investigate Monument Desecration in Belgrade - YIHR.rs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On 26 January 2026, the online portals Kurir, Republika, and Novosti published articles in which the Youth Initiative for Human Rights was indirectly accused of vandalism, namely of desecrating the monument to Gavrilo Princip in Belgrade. 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