Association KROKODIL Wins Another SLAPP Lawsuit Case

31 Jan Association KROKODIL Wins Another SLAPP Lawsuit Case

Dear friends,

After nearly two years of trial, another first-instance verdict has been issued in favor of those accused of repainting the war-mongering graffiti “When the army returns to Kosovo…” in Mitićeva Rupa park. Judge Sanja Đorđević acquitted our Milena Berić of the offense unlawfully charged by the Communal Police.

The ruling states that the court could not determine that Berić applied paint to the wall on February 18, 2023, thereby altering its appearance, as claimed by the Communal Police. Clear defense arguments prevailed: Berić was not found with painting tools, the misdemeanor notice was not delivered to her on-site, and the park-cleaning action, aimed at removing hate speech from the wall, was properly reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

This verdict once again confirms that misdemeanor charges against citizens who refuse to accept war-mongering messages as normal are an abuse of institutions for political purposes. It also proves that activism should not be abandoned out of fear of institutional retaliation but fought for with all available legal means.

We move forward! Let’s defend our civil rights and build a democratic society!

Big thank you to all who supported us along the way!