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Following four Transnational Thematic Workshops
(TTWs) held online, in the scope of HOPE – Holistic Radicalisation
Prevention Initiative, the first TTW in person was held in Belgrade
on June 1, 2022.
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights hosted thirty
seven professionals from twelve countries, experts in preventing and
countering violent extremism (P/CVE), as well as representatives of
NGOs and communities from the Western Balkans region and Serbia,
that deal/face with this issue. The Representatives of the OSCE
Mission to Belgrade, US Embassy and Council if Europe also
participated this TTW titled “Extremist landscape in Serbia:
Implications for the criminal justice service”.
The event aimed to provide participants with
knowledge about the situation in Serbia from qualified
practitioners, as well as to enrich debate on P/CVE among
professionals and researchers/experts.
This TTW was also the opportunity for relevant stakeholders to share
the needs and gaps in preventing and countering radicalisation and
violent extremism in the region, as well as to exchange best
practices and approaches and improve cooperation.
After greeting the participants, Izabela Kisic, Executive Director
of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, briefly
commented on the increasingly violent manifestations of extremism
across Europe, with special reference to Serbia. Kisic pointed out
that the current aggression of Russia on Ukraine additionally
contributed to the polarization of the society and encouraged
right-wing groups and political parties that openly support Russia's
war campaign.
Ljiljana Palibrk from the Helsinki Committee, researcher and manager
of the HOPE project in Serbia, presented a multi-ideological Serbian
context related to FTFs, extremism and radicalism. Although no
terrorist activities have been reported in Serbia, right-wing groups
and political parties are on the rise, and their targets are mainly
migrants, civil society activists, sexual minorities and the
so-called "Traitors" (NGOs and individuals who promote an open and
democratic society). Of particular concern is the emergence of
unidentified and often very violent groups that are presumed to be
close to the governing structure, as they are always out of the
reach of the police and the judiciary.
External expert of the Helsinki Committee Jarmila Bujak Stanko and
president of the DamaD Cultural Center from Novi Pazar Zibija
Sharenkapic spoke about the capacities and shortcomings of local
communities in the process of deradicalisation and reintegration of
fighters from foreign battlefields and their families. Based on
recent research, Bujak Stanko concluded the institutional framework
for combating violent extremism and terrorism exists, but there is
no institutional support program for FTFs in the community. Zibija
Sarenkapic presented how the small community in Novi Pazar is
dealing with this issue, in the absence of institutional support.
She pointed out that the general need to attribute extremism to
groups rather than factors hinders public sector service providers
from reacting preventively and viewing extremism as a long-term,
systemic problem.
Some of the activities of state institutions in the field of
prevention and fight against violent extremism and radicalism were
presented by Milos Tisma from the Research Center for Defence and
Security (RCDS) and Dejan Milutinovic, President of the Professional
Association of the Security Sector.
The RCDS survey indicated the existence of greater or lesser ethnic
distance between young people, a low level of security culture and
the great influence of the Internet and social networks.
Intervention and support of institutions at all levels is necessary,
especially in southern Serbia.
Dejan Milutinović said there is no systematic approach to the
prevention of violent behaviour and radicalisation of particularly
vulnerable groups, while, on the other hand, there are increasingly
pronounced factors that negatively affect young people
(unemployment, economic uncertainty, lack of support in the family
and wider environment, exposure to hazardous safety contents via
media and internet, etc.).
Dijana Dimovska, psychologist in Zabela Penitentiary in Pozarevac,
presented her experience while piloting of the specific tools and
program for violent extremist offenders (VEOs), implemented by the
Council of Europe within the regional action “Enhancing penitentiary
capacities in addressing radicalisation and violent extremism in
prisons in the Western Balkans”. She highlighted that would be
appropriate to plan for additional support and training for prison's
staff.
The event ended with a workshop held by Dorin Muresan, Senior Expert
at IPS_Innovative Prison Systems (the project promoter).
More details and presentations from this TTW are available at the
HOPE Radicalisation Network.
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