• by Vesna Peric Zimonjic (belgrade)
• Monday, October 05, 2009
• Inter Press Service

Ultranationalist groups behind the violence in Belgrade last month face ban by the Constitutional Court of Serbia.

The ban request by the public prosecutor's office followed the death of French football fan Brice Taton (28). He was severely beaten by masked men in daylight in a downtown Belgrade café ahead of a Europa League match between Partizan Belgrade and Toulouse Sep. 17. Days later an Australian and a Libyan tourist were attacked.

Taton was attacked by fans of the Partizan club. Ten were arrested, two remain at large.

Amidst more fear of ultranationalist violence, a gay pride march planned for Sep. 20 was cancelled. One of these groups declared that 'within the pure Serbian nation there can be no people whose sexual orientation can differ from normal.'

The groups Obraz (Cheek) and Movement 1389 are well known for their violent interruption of exhibitions or performances by alternative artists, beating up of civil rights activists, and breaking up theatre shows deemed 'anti-Serb'.

The two groups claim to be 'patriotic', promoting 'traditional Serb values at all costs, even with use of violence' as their leaders, programmes and websites say (www.obraz.rs and www.snp1389.rs, in Serbian).

'We have requested a ban on Obraz and People's Movement 1389', public prosecutor Slobodan Radovanovic told reporters last week after filing his request to the Constitutional Court. 'Their activities are directly in contradiction with the Constitution.'

Prosecutor Radovanovic said Thursday last week that a 'ban on certain football fan groups' is likely 'as we have obtained proof that they are involved in organised crime activities.' These are fan clubs for the Crvena Zvezda, Partizan and Rad clubs.

Crvena Zvezda fans wrecked downtown pubs and cafes in Prague in September ahead of an international match with a local club. At home, Zvezda and Partizan fans turn frequently violent. Rad fans have been known to engage in knife attacks.

'The basis for a ban is Article 55 of the Serbian Constitution, which says that the Constitutional Court can outlaw organisations whose activities are aimed at violent breaches of constitutional order, violation of guaranteed human or minority rights, and instigation of racial, ethnic or religious hatred,' professor of international law Vojin Dimitrijevic told IPS.

'However, there is a question why the action (by the prosecutor) came only now, and not before,' he added. 'Did it really have to come to the point of killing or beating of foreigners to begin the long awaited action by the judiciary?'

Political analyst Bozo Prelevic says there are several reasons for such late action.

'It's no secret that the strongest Serbian clubs are led by influential politicians, policemen and businessmen, but also prominent members of the judiciary, and that is where protection for so-called football fans comes from,' Prelevic told Belgrade B92 TV. 'We can see that after acts of hooliganism, as in the case of Uros Misic.'

Prelevic was referring to trial of the 'football fan' Uros Misic (20) charged with attempted murder of a gendarme at a match last year, when fans set the Crvena Zvezda stadium on fire. Misic was arrested after he put a burning torch into the mouth of police officer Nebojsa Trajkovic.

Police sources told IPS there is a strong connection between organised crime, such as drug trafficking, and football fan clubs where crime lords engage youngsters to be their 'soldiers'.

'They (the youths) have to prove their loyalty to bosses by doing dirty business for them, by being involved in violent attacks, and in return they get money, fancy cars and even drugs for free. The point is privilege and importance for otherwise uneducated, unemployed and poor youngsters,' a police source said.

Serbian President Boris Tadic says the wave of violence is a consequence of the 1990s when isolated Serbia was engaged in wars, and violent behaviour was widely 'praised as bravery'.

After attending a commemorative rally to pay respects to Brice Taton, Tadic promised that 'the state will do whatever there is in its power to stop the violence, which can lead to fascism.'

The actions by the prosecution have sounded alarm bells for right-wing groups.

Tomislav Nikolic, leader of the nationalist Serbian Progressive Party, said 'a ban might represent a dangerous precedent, and lead to the ban of rightist parties, which have the right to exist after 20 years of a multi-party system in Serbia.'

A decision by the Constitutional Court can be expected 'in coming months,' president of the court Bosa Nenadic told reporters.

© Inter Press Service (2009) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

Where next?

Advertisement