Millennium team v. Dejan Atanacković
Prosecutor
Millennium Team d.o.o.
Company
2025 | Criminal procedure
In June 2025, the construction company Millennium Team filed a private criminal complaint against artist, writer, and activist Dejan Atanacković regarding his statements about Hotel Jugoslavija, the Sava Mala case, construction waste disposal, and other dealings of the company. The complaint demands that the First Municipal Court in Belgrade impose a prison sentence of one year on Atanacković. Previously, in November 2024, the company had threatened activists protesting the demolition of Hotel Jugoslavija with lawsuits. At that time, citizens highlighted suspicions that the building was being demolished illegally—potentially releasing large amounts of harmful asbestos—and that the company in question was carrying out the demolition. Citizens had filed complaints with the authorities, citing concern over the demolition of this historically significant structure, but all objections were routinely dismissed. The company stated that the planned demolition did not in any way endanger the safety or health of residents of New Belgrade and Zemun, and that spreading information about dangerous materials was intended to cause panic and unrest—and that such actions could lead to criminal liability. Atanacković says that the lawsuit against him cites a number of views expressed in his columns and media statements, primarily during appearances on Nova S TV and in Novi Magazin, where he allegedly spread false claims about Millennium Team. He is also accused of stating that Millennium Team is a regime-aligned company that obtained favorable contracts from the authorities. The first hearing for Dejan Atanacković was scheduled for June 27 at the First Municipal Court, which, he alleges, amounts to what is known as a “reconciliation hearing.”
Basis of submission (according to which article of the law):
Article 239 of the Criminal CodeDamages/penalty requested:
The prosecutor is asking for a sentence of one year in prison for the writer, artist and activist Dejan Atanacković.
Defendant
Dejan Atanacković (Activist)
Sector
Public information
Outcome - In progress
The first hearing for Dejan Atanacković is scheduled for June 27 in the First Municipal Court, and it is an invitation to the so-called reconciliation.
Present characteristics
1. With the lawsuit that initiated the procedure, the plaintiff uses an imbalance of power, such as his financial advantage, political/social influence or authority as a power holder, in which way he puts pressure on the defendant – an actor participating in the public debate.
Millennium Team is a construction company founded in 2003, known for being engaged by the state in the vast majority of its projects. Some of the projects in which this firm is involved include the construction of buildings in Belgrade Waterfront, Expo, the national stadium, the metro depot in Makiš, wastewater treatment plants as part of the “Clean Serbia” program, and numerous others. The contracts awarded by the state to Millennium Team for some of the most important infrastructure projects have amounted to multi‑million sums for years. By filing a private criminal complaint against an artist and activist, the company is leveraging its financial and political influence to stifle public debate about its lucrative business operations and actions.
2. The arguments presented by the prosecutor are partially or completely unfounded.
The lawsuit is based on the positions that Atanacković expressed in his columns and media appearances. The views he presented in the media were grounded in the testimonies and statements of experts, primarily regarding the presence of asbestos during the demolition of Hotel Jugoslavija. They were also based on publicly available data about the contracts this company held from the state. Another question arises: how can a single individual damage the reputation of a company that earns tens of billions of dinars annually? All of this points to the weak legal foundation of the lawsuit.
3. The lawsuit or legal remedy, that is, the request or proposal submitted by the plaintiff is disproportionate, excessive or unreasonable.
The request for a prison sentence of one year for statements in a public space is clearly excessive and disproportionate. The jailing of the activist is not aimed at protecting the company’s reputation, but at stifling freedom of speech and criticism in the public space.
4. Claims represent abuse of rights, i.e. distributive use of authority by public authorities against actors participating in public debate.
Although formally a private entity, Millennium Team enjoys the status of a regular partner of the state with close contacts among government representatives. The use of repressive legal mechanisms in order to silence criticism indicates the abuse of rights by an actor closely connected to the holders of public authority.
5. The lawsuit was filed against (i) an individual, i.e. a responsible media editor and/or a journalist and not (only) against an organization that organized the disputed activity, i.e. a media publisher and/or a journalist who published the news within a public debate.
Dejan Atanacković is a civil activist who acts independently as an individual and not as part of a specific organization. Targeting him as an individual is therefore particularly burdensome because there is no institutional support behind this artist, which would be a significant support and protection mechanism in the entire process.
6. The lawsuit is accompanied by an offensive public relations campaign designed to harass, discredit or intimidate actors participating in the public debate, or is intended to divert attention from the substantive issue at hand.
In November 2024, the Millennium Team publicly threatened activists for raising concerns about plans to demolish Hotel Yugoslavia, saying they were spreading panic and misinformation that could have criminal consequences. This has a clear chilling effect and is part of a wider PR strategy against critical actors.
7. The plaintiff, or persons associated with the plaintiff, have participated or are currently participating in intimidation, harassment or threats to actors participating in public debate.
The Millennium Team’s November 2024 threats to activists, stating that they may be held criminally liable for inciting panic, are directly an attempt to intimidate and suppress participation in public debate. This is not the first time this company has filed lawsuits that have the characteristics of a SLAPP. Dozens of lawsuits were filed by this company against numerous media outlets and opposition politicians.
8. The plaintiff, or persons related to the plaintiff, in the previous period were or are now participants in multiple and coordinated filing of lawsuits against actors participating in the public debate.
Millennium Team is known for several previous lawsuits against journalists and media, including JugPress, InfoVranjske, Novi magazin, which indicates a pattern of multiple and coordinated use of judicial mechanisms to intimidate critical voices. The lawyer who represented the Millennium Team in various proceedings has also represented other actors who have filed SLAPP claims against the media.
