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Vulin proposes a law on "foreign agents" in Serbia, a model followed by Russia

2024-12-04 18:36:40Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Vulin proposes a law on "foreign agents" in Serbia, a model followed

"Foreign mercenaries" in Slobodan Milosevic's regime in the 90s, today "agents of foreign influence".

Labeling as a "foreign agent" could become a legal obligation for the non-governmental sector in Serbia, if the Parliament in this country passes the proposed act on agents of foreign influence.

Sofija Todorovic from the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) tells Radio Free Europe that this organization would not agree to use such a label.

"Agreeing to this kind of oppression would not be an option," she says.

The proposed law on the special registration of agents of foreign influence defines as "foreign agents" all associations and non-profit organizations, which are mainly financed from abroad, for the purposes of political influence.

This proposal was sent to the parliamentary procedure by the deputies of the Socialist Movement - whose founder is the pro-Russian vice president of the Government of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin.

Laws on foreign agents — modeled after Russia's to silence government criticism and limit the work of human rights activists and independent media — have been passed or proposed in several other countries, including the Balkans.

In the Socialist Movement, however, they say their model was the American Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) of 1938, not the Russian one.

The Socialist Movement and its founder, Aleksandar Vulin, have been partners of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, for years.

This party did not answer REL's question if it would support this law, while Vucic told reporters that neither the Government nor the parliamentary majority are its proponents.

"If the Government wanted it, it would have proposed it. But there will be discussions about it, so it will become clear who thinks what," said Vucic.

He also said that he did not pay attention to the fact that this law was submitted, since, as he said, it did not have any special importance for him.

Vulin resigned from Serbia's Security and Intelligence Agency (BIA) in November 2023, a few months after the United States put him on a sanctions list for ties to Russia, among other things.

When Serbia's new government was formed in May, he became its vice-president, in charge of cooperation with the BRICS countries - a grouping that includes Russia.

What does the proposed law say?

Agents of foreign influence, according to the proposed Serbian law, are all non-governmental organizations that are primarily financed by other states, international and foreign organizations, foreign nationals or registered non-governmental organizations that are financed from abroad.

As agents of foreign influence, non-profit organizations are also classified, which are engaged in political activities, with the aim of endangering democracy, violating the integrity of Serbia, violating the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the Constitution and inciting national hatred and intolerance. racial or religious.

The MP of the Socialist Movement, Gjorgje Komlenski, who is one of the two proponents of the law, tells Radio Free Europe that the measure is necessary, so that citizens "have an idea of ​​what motives someone says and does something".

"Many non-governmental organizations have turned into a section of lobbyists - very well funded - for foreign interests," according to him.

Asked if the state also receives money from foreign funds, Komlenski says that the state uses those funds in accordance with its interests, while the non-governmental sector "according to the duties of those who share those funds."

The draft law also provides that in every appearance of representatives of "agents of foreign influence", it should be noted that the organization is registered in the Registry of agents with foreign influence, which is managed by the Ministry of Justice.

In case of non-compliance with the obligation to be marked as a "foreign agent", the proposed law provides for penalties such as: prohibition of work and criminal charges against the responsible persons.

The measure also foresees fines from 5,000 dinars (about 42 euros) to 2,000,000 dinars (about 17,000 euros).

In the explanation for the proposed law, it is stated that there are civil associations in Serbia, which "work openly against the state and national interests of Serbia".

His supporters believe that the purpose of their action is related to the destabilization of the state, so that Serbia "is forced to recognize the independence of Kosovo, agree to the dissolution of the Republika Srpska and impose sanctions against Russia."

Asked if the Russian law was a model, Komlensky says that it is not Russian, but American.

"No, trust me, I haven't even read that law. One of my motivations was the 1938 FARA law in the US, but I think this is an even milder version of what that law allows authorities in the US to do,” says Komlenski.

FARA, however, defines “foreign agents” as individuals who act under the direction of foreign countries, engage in political activities, raise money, or act under the direction of superiors, in contact with US authorities.

The FARA Act was created in 1938 to suppress Nazi and later Bolshevik propaganda.

With subsequent revisions, the law targets money laundering, corruption, terrorism and sanctions evasion.

Warnings from Brussels and Washington

The European Commission tells Radio Free Europe that every draft law must be in accordance with European standards.

"We remind you that any law of a candidate country for EU membership must be in line with the fundamental democratic values ​​of the EU, including freedom of speech and expression," the response states.

Before becoming a member of the EU, a candidate country must harmonize its laws, policies, institutions and practices with EU standards and requirements.

Serbia and Montenegro are leaders in the Western Balkans in terms of the EU membership process.

The US Department of State also tells REL that they are deeply concerned about the implications that the proposed law on foreign agents in Serbia may have on democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and organization.

"Such a law could narrow the space for civil society action, stigmatize civil society organizations that work to improve the lives of Serbian citizens, and hinder the work of independent media that provide accurate information to the public," it says. in response.

"A law modeled after Putin's to silence the civil sector"

Sofija Todorović from YIHR says that the law is based on claims that there are elements that destabilize the country, even though there are no court rulings or proven information about them, except for the indications and statements of certain officials.

"The goal is repression", she says, adding that the transparency of funding of non-governmental organizations already exists.

"Such a law would contribute to the additional labeling of citizens' associations and to the presentation of people working in civil organizations as enemies," according to her.

Sonja Biserko from the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights agrees with him.

She says that with this law "all those who think differently and are mainly pro-European will show their teeth".

"It's a law similar to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's and it aims to silence, make meaningless and marginalize the civil sector, which receives donations from abroad, which is critical and which represents liberal values, to which they have always been against", says Biserko.

She expects the European Union to prevent the law from being passed.

Stradner: The initiative in Serbia differs from the American FARA law

Ivana Stradner, a fellow at the non-governmental Foundation for the Defense of Democracy in Washington, tells Radio Free Europe that it is important to distinguish between the FARA law in the US and the initiative in Serbia, which, according to her, "is inspired by the law of Putin for foreign agents".

She says that the US Congress passed FARA in 1938 as part of the war against Nazi propaganda, namely to expose lobbying firms that represented the interests of Nazi Germany.

"In contrast, supporters of the Serbian law on foreign agents often mention the funding of non-governmental organizations by the West and how the West wants to organize a color revolution," she says.

Stradner adds that it is not certain that this law would target people who work directly with Moscow or Beijing.

Po sipas saj, ligji i propozuar duket se është pjesë e një loje politike, në të cilën Vulin propozon vendime “joracionale”, kurse Vuçiq heq dorë prej tyre dhe, në këtë mënyrë, “i bën nder Perëndimit”.

Si zbatohet Ligji për agjentët e huaj në Rusi?

Ligji rus që kërkon nga organizatat që marrin para nga jashtë, të regjistrohen si “agjente të huaja”, u prezantua në vitin 2012 dhe u zgjerua në vitin 2022.

Objektiv i parë ishin organizatat joqeveritare, e që nga viti 2017 edhe gazetarët e mediat, përfshirë Radion Evropa e Lirë.

Andrej Shary, drejtor për rajonin rus në Radion Evropa e Lirë, thotë se Ligji për agjentët e huaj nënkupton që çdo mundësi për veprim e shoqërisë civile, që nuk korrespondon me kërkesat e qeverisë, të bëhet e pamundur.

“Sipas interpretimit të Qeverisë ruse dhe publikut patriot, ‘agjentë të huaj’ janë njerëzit që punojnë kundër interesave të atdheut të tyre, mercenarët e Perëndimit, spiunët amerikanë apo gjermanë”, thotë Shary.

Sipas tij, disa mijëra persona janë shpallur tashmë agjentë të huaj dhe shumica e tyre janë larguar nga Rusia.

Gjykata Evropiane e të Drejtave të Njeriut konstatoi në muajin tetor se Ligji rus për agjentët e huaj shkel Konventën Evropiane për të Drejtat e Njeriut, është “arbitrar” dhe përdoret në “një mënyrë të gjerë dhe të paparashikueshme”.

Ligji kërkon që ata për të cilët zbatohet, për shembull gazetarët, ta vënë etiketën “Unë jam agjent i huaj” në çdo artikull apo postim të vetin në rrjetet sociale.

Nëse refuzojnë ta bëjnë këtë, pasojnë dënimet.

“Ndodh ajo që i ka ndodhur edhe Radios Evropa e Lirë. Për të gjitha projektet në gjuhën ruse ne kemi marrë gjoba deri në 18 milionë dollarë”, thotë Shary.

Në rast të mospagesës së gjobave, autoritetet i bllokojnë llogaritë bankare, ndërsa nuk përjashtohet as përgjegjësia penale.

Në vitin 2017, Shërbimi rus i Radios Evropa e Lirë u fut në listën e agjentëve të huaj.

Në shkurt të këtij viti, ai u shpall “organizatë e padëshirueshme” në Rusi, gjë që, praktikisht, e ndalon atë të punojë në atë vend, ndërsa kushdo që bashkëpunon me të, mund të ndiqet penalisht.

Çfarë do të thoshte për Serbinë miratimi i Ligjit për agjentët e huaj?

Profesori i së Drejtës Kushtetuese në Serbi, Bogolub Millosavleviq, thotë për Radion Evropa e Lirë se Ligji për agjentët e huaj është diçka që mund t’i përshtatet Rusisë, Bjellorusisë, Koresë së Veriut dhe disa regjimeve të vjetra komuniste.

“Pra, diçka që është krejtësisht e vjetruar, diçka që nuk mund t’i përshtatet një vendi që dëshiron të ketë sadopak demokraci”, thotë ai.

Duke komentuar etiketimin “agjent i huaj”, ai thotë se një praktikë e ngjashme ka ekzistuar edhe gjatë sundimit të ish-presidentit të Serbisë dhe Jugosllavisë, Sllobodan Millosheviq, gjatë viteve ‘90.

“Ata që punonin për donatorët e huaj, quheshin të gjithë mercenarë të huaj. Tani janë ‘agjentë të ndikimit të huaj’ dhe janë persona që automatikisht etiketohen si armiq të këtij vendi”, thotë Millosavleviq.

A similar draft law on foreign agents has existed in Montenegro since October, but has not entered the parliamentary procedure.

It has been proposed by the coalition "For the future of Montenegro", which consists of the pro-Russian parties of the former Democratic Front (DF) - New Serbian Democracy of Andrija Mandić and the People's Democratic Party of Millan Knezhević.

This proposal has been criticized by the coalition partners in Montenegro, as well as by the opposition, civil society and the European Union.

In May, authorities in Republika Srpska – one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's two entities – withdrew the planned law on foreign agents from the process and sent it back for review, following a series of criticisms from the international community, the media and the non-governmental sector.

The measure was introduced in 2022 by Milorad Dodiku, president of Republika Srpska and leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, which is under sanctions from the US and Great Britain for unconstitutional actions.

This year, laws aimed at curbing the influence of non-governmental organizations have been passed in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan – both former Soviet republics.

In Georgia, the law was passed despite citizen protests and put European integration on hold, as well as cutting off financial support from the EU.

Even the European Union is not spared from these undemocratic methods, so the Law on the Protection of Sovereignty is already in force in Hungary and a similar solution is being planned in neighboring Slovakia.


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