Dragana Arsić is an environmental activist from Serbia and the founder of the movement Odbranimo šume Fruške gore(Defend the Forests of Fruška Gora). Her work is focused on protecting public forest areas in the Fruška Gora National Park from unlawful privatization and environmental degradation. During 2021, Arsić organized peaceful protest walks to draw public attention to illegal fences that blocked hiking trails and natural corridors used by wildlife.
Dragana Arsić , environmental activist from Novi Sad and founder of the movement Defend the Forests of Fruška Gora , is one of the most recognizable examples of a defender of the public interest who faced a series of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP). During 2021, Dragana, together with other activists, organized protest walks under the name “All for forests – forest for all”, by which she tried to point out the illegal fencing of large areas of the Fruška Gora National Park and the prevention of the free movement of people and animals on traditional hiking trails. Their activities were peaceful and included the symbolic removal of parts of the wire fence, as well as addressing the media, informing the public of problems related to fencing and possible illegal work in protected areas.
As a reaction to these actions, Sanja Petrić, the investor and real owner of Galens Invest , filed as many as four lawsuits against Dragana Arsić — three civil lawsuits and one private criminal lawsuit. In the first lawsuit, she claimed that Dragana disturbed state property and requested an injunction against further disturbing the property, but the court rejected that request as unfounded, stressing that the public interest in protecting free access to the National Park was clearly recognized. In another proceeding, Petrić sued Arsić for defamation and demanded compensation for non-material damages in the amount of 800,000 dinars, claiming that the protest activities and statements made to the media damaged her reputation and caused fear — and this request was rejected by the court. The third claim related to the claim for compensation for alleged material damage due to the cutting of the fence, but that claim was also legally rejected. Particularly indicative is a private criminal lawsuit for an alleged criminal offense of damage to business reputation, which requested a prison sentence of one year; this procedure was later withdrawn.
The court proceedings in all key points confirmed that Dragana Arsić’s actions addressed matters of significant public interest and that the protests were a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression and assembly, protected both by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and the European Convention on Human Rights. These conclusions are fully supported by the analysis of the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, which cites Dragana Arsić as an illustrative example of SLAPP mechanisms used in the area of environmental protection.
Dragana Arsić shows by her example how SLAPP mechanisms must not be allowed to “eat” activists psychologically, professionally and financially. In one of the VOICE interviews, she said yes “you should not put an end to your activities… Work on the support of the media, the public and the civil sector, deal with your topic, assess the extent to which you will expose yourself to risks, but you cannot allow it to ‘eat’ you because of accumulated anxiety and stress.” He especially emphasizes that solidarity and public support represent the first line of defense and that networking with larger civil society organizations is crucial, emphasizing that “to anyone who has been the target of a SLAPP lawsuit, I recommend mandatory contact with larger and stronger civil society organizations… There is also a European coalition against SLAPP lawsuits… If the courts rule in favor of those suing you, the European Court of Human Rights remains.” ( VOICE ).
Also, Dragana showed through her own example how important persistence and working with reliable lawyers is, stressing in the same conversation that “the first instance verdict arrived 13 months later, and we waited 18 months for the last one… We also filed criminal charges for usurping state land because it is a criminal offense — and that is an important message that the fight does not end at just one instance.” These tips confirm that the most important tools against SLAPP lawsuits are consistency, public visibility, legal expertise, and connections to solidarity networks that keep pressure from self-censorship. The example of Dragana Arsić reminds all defenders of rights and journalists that they must not remain isolated in the fight for the public interest.
This document was prepared within the framework of the Civil Society Development Hub of the Western Balkans project, financed by Sida, and implemented by the BCSDN.
The content of this document, the information and the views expressed in it do not represent the official position and opinion of Sida and BCSDN. The responsibility for the information and views expressed in this document rests entirely with the author.
