SNS officials from Gornji Milanovac v. Branimir Stojčić

Branimir Stojčić (Activist)

Uzinat

In progress.

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.

The plaintiffs are all officials of the ruling party, and their position and influence are additionally strengthened by the fact that they operate in a smaller place, and therefore the pressure to which the defendant is exposed is greater.

2. Claims represent abuse of rights, i.e. distributive use of authority by public authorities against actors participating in public debate.

The plaintiffs, including the president of the municipality, are officials of the ruling party and local authorities who use their position to deal with political opponents.

3. 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.

All 16 lawsuits were filed against a citizen activist, pressure of this magnitude on one person undoubtedly drains the various resources of the affected person.

4. The plaintiff, or persons associated with the plaintiff, have participated or are currently participating in intimidation, harassment, or threats against actors engaged in public debate.

A total of 16 plaintiffs jointly participate in harassing one activist, with the aim of dissuading him from further action in public space.

5. 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.

All the plaintiffs filed the same charges against the activist at the same time, which indicates a coordinated action aimed at discrediting and harassing the defendant in order to punish him for the words spoken at the public meeting.

6. The prosecutor did not initiate out-of-court mechanisms for resolving the disputed matter before filing the lawsuit, or the prosecutor, as a holder of public authority, did not issue a warning or admonishment to the defendant but immediately filed the lawsuit.

All 16 lawsuits arrived at once, without announcement, and it is clear the intention of the plaintiffs to join forces in a joint venture to bury the activist with lawsuits and make it difficult for him to face numerous court processes.