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BALKANS: Ultranationalists Face Ban
By Vesna Peric Zimonjic
BELGRADE, Oct 5 (IPS) - 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.
(END/2009)
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