Serbia-Belgrade Protest February 2019

February 18, 2019

Protesters hold red flares during a demonstration against the Serbian
president in front of the National Assembly building in Belgrade on
February 16, 2019. Since early December, demonstrators have rallied each
Saturday for protests against the Serbian president, whom they accuse
of stifling media freedoms and cracking down on the opposition.

Milan Jovanovic journalist

February 17, 2019

Journalist Milan Jovanovic poses for photo in Belgrade on January 3, 2019.

On December 12, 2018, the house of Milan Jovanović, an investigative
journalist for the independent news website Žig Info, was set ablaze at
3:30 am in Vrčin when a Molotov cocktail was thrown through his garage
window and unidentified persons fired shots at his front door to prevent
the family from leaving the house, local and regional media reported.
Mr Jovanović and his wife were able to escape through
the back window and watched as their entire property, including a car,
burned down. Jovanovic was not injured, but he claimed that the fire
occurred because of his articles targeting the mafia in the municipality
of Grocka, 20 km from Belgrade. The journalist reported on the
“suddenly acquired property” of the head of the local Grocka
municipality, as well as alleging corruption in the construction of
sewage systems, after which local authorities cut down his water supply.

Vladimir Putin in Serbia

February 10, 2019

Supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk towards Belgrade’s Saint Sava Church on January 17, 2019.

Supporters of Serbian President and Russian President Vladimir Putin wait for their arrival in front of Belgrade’s Saint Sava Church on January 17, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 17, 2019 called for stability in the Balkans during a pageantry-filled visit to Serbia, a key Moscow ally in a tense region on Europe’s edge. Although Serbia and all of its neighbours aspire to join the European Union, Belgrade has nurtured close ties with Russia, its historical “Orthodox big brother” whose people also share Slavic origins.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin is on the big screen in front of the Belgrade’s Saint Sava Church on January 17, 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 17, 2019 called for stability in the Balkans during a pageantry-filled visit to Serbia, a key Moscow ally in a tense region on Europe’s edge. Although Serbia and all of its neighbours aspire to join the European Union, Belgrade has nurtured close ties with Russia, its historical “Orthodox big brother” whose people also share Slavic origins.