Tanja Fajon, an MEP and the co-chairman of the European Parliament (EP) Delegation for cooperation with Serbia, tweeted on Tuesday that any unjustified probe into the work of NGOs, media and individuals should be considered as a pressure.
Fajon wrote that the majority of them were among the strongest supporters of the pro-European Union reforms and the EU values in Seria.
Most of the CSOs, media and individuals investigated for money laundering by the Serbian Government have been among the primary advocates for pro-EU reforms and supporters of #EU values in #Serbia. Any unjustified investigation into their work should be regarded as pressure. https://t.co/go9kg6odLz
— Tanja Fajon (@tfajon) July 28, 2020
She reacted to the announcement that Serbia’s Finance Ministry was to start the investigationat many NGOs, media and individuals based on the Law on Preventing Money laundering and Financing Terrorism.
In the meantime, people who were put on the list for investigation also commented on the issue.
Biljana Stepanovic, the Busines Info Group Director, said that “since we don’t live in a normal country for eight years, this a grand finale and an own goal by the authorities which seem to be losing it.”
Zoran Gavrliovic of the BIRODI added that the move aimed at “branding the part of the society which the regime sees as critical and which can influence the social processes in Serbia.”
UNS President Vladimir Radomanovic said he expected the Finance Minister Sinisa Mali and the Department’s Director to urgently inform the public about what their demand for information about media organisations, associations and journalists was based on.
