The opposition Movement of Free Citizens (PSG) said its lawyers succeeded in securing acquittals for activist Danijel Mirkov and journalists Sara Mikic and Savo Majstorov who were charged with organizing blockades at the protests against Rio Tinto in the Serbian city of Sombor.

Proceedings were conducted against them because they invited citizens, via social networks, to protests against the Rio Tinto Company in December 2021, which were held in over 50 Serbian cities and towns, and because they reported from the Sombor rally.

The PSG said judge Snezana Nikolajev said in the rationale that they were acquitted because it was not proved that they committed the offense they were being prosecuted for.

“Such actions serve only to intimidate both citizens and the media, with which the government is trying to prevent mass gatherings of citizens over the wrongdoings that it commits on a daily basis. What is especially problematic is that, in this case, the accused were journalists, so we can draw a conclusion that the government would even like to ban reporting from rallies against it,” said head of the PSG legal team Aleksandar Petrovic, adding: “We will continue to defend all citizens who find themselves in this situation.”