Current Battles for Freedom in Serbia: The Marija Vasić Case
When Peaceful Demonstration Evolves into "Violent Agitation"
June 3, 2025, 08:07 AM
The harrowing ordeal of teacher Marija Vasić, now under house arrest after two months of hunger and thirst striking in prison, has ignited a firestorm of emotions in Serbia. Her case reveals the lengths the government will go to silence dissenting voices.
by Andrej Ivanji, Belgrade
Stirring Up Controversy:
- "Terrorists" and "Color Revolution"
- The Tall Tales of "Jealous" and "Dark Forces"
- Protests and House Arrest
- Judiciary's Fight for Independence
- A Scandalous Audio Recording
- A Weak Case and a Solid Stand
Marija Vasic's relatives teetered on a precipice of worry: Milan Canak recalling, "I don't even know if my mother is still breathing." Her mother had been on a hunger and thirst strike for two tumultuous months in investigative detention, voicing her indignation at her arrest and continued detention, which she considered illegitimate. After nearly three days, she collapsed and was transferred to the prison hospital in Belgrade. Neither her family nor her lawyer were allowed access to her. Vasic has since made a recovery and been released under house arrest.
Six other activists—members of the informal student group Stav and the opposition party Movement of Free Citizens (PSG)—were arrested alongside Vasic on March 14 and charged with conspiring to overthrow the constitutional order and undermining the security of the Republic of Serbia. An additional six activists are currently on the run with arrest warrants out for their capture. However, the prosecution's case is built upon little more than a murky audio recording, bringing criticism that the arrests serve as an intimidation tactic to silence the opposition, particularly rebellious students.
"Terrorists" and "Color Revolution"
The arrests coincided with a significant escalation in the Serbian government's verbal attacks against the student protests against corruption, a movement that has garnered support from nearly the entire nation for months. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly and baselessly branded political activists as "terrorists" organizing a coup in Serbia on behalf of foreign intelligence services.
Daily, Vucic discusses a looming "color revolution" taking place in Serbia. Every reference to a color revolution refers to a series of regime changes in the early 2000s, prompted by civil resistance, such as the Orange Revolution in Ukraine or the Rose Revolution in Georgia. While some segments of Serbian public opinion view these revolutions unfavorably as foreign interference, the students organizing the protests receive little international support.
Vucic complained about this fabricated color revolution to Putin during his participation in the military parade on Victory Day in Moscow on May 9. At home, however, he declared that he had already won the battle against the color revolution and planned to publish a bestselling book detailing his exploits.
Even Patriarch Porfirije, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, echoed the narrative of foreign interference, publicly lamenting supposed color revolution attempts.
The Tall Tales of "Jealous" and "Dark Forces"
Ministers and pro-government Serbian media regurgitate the tales of enemy forces funding these attempted coups without evidence.
Why would these malevolent powers target Serbia? Because they are "jealous" of its economic and societal successes, and because freedom-loving Serbs refused to fall under the demands of world powers.
The narrative that paints Russia, Belarus, Hungary, or China as enemies is a surprising one, as they do not play villainous roles in this story.
Protests and House Arrest
In reality, "terrorist" Marija Vasic is a teacher and a well-known antifascist activist in Novi Sad, known for writing historical books—one on the Holocaust and another on the "Raid in Novi Sad," a massacre committed by the Hungarian occupational force in late January 1942.
Due to Vasic's protest against her unjust imprisonment, the intensity of protests for her release and that of her comrades only grew: students and citizens blocked the district court in Novi Sad, prompting the court's eventual decision to allow house arrest for Vasic and two of her associates. The others have also been released from detention but remain under house arrest for the time being.
Judiciary's Fight for Independence
Vucic was less than pleased with this decision, accusing the judiciary of being part of the "color revolution" or succumbing to "street pressure." He warned that he would fire any prosecutors and judges who did not enforce the laws and uphold the constitutional order, disappointed by what he perceived as the judiciary's leniency towards rebellious students.
Inresponse, nearly 600 judges and prosecutors signed a petition stating that it was high time for judges and prosecutors, who had thus far remained silent in the face of judicial subjugation, to raise their voices and resist.
The Audio Recording
The allegations against Vasic and her co-defendants revolve around a planning meeting for the large demonstration that took place in Belgrade on March 15. An audio recording of a meeting of a dozen people discussing various organizational matters exists, recorded in the party rooms of the oppositional PSG in Novi Sad. In the two-hour conversation, the participants, including Vasic, discussed everything from logistics to security measures for the protests.
In the conversation—more reminiscent of a local pub chat than a conspiratorial plot—was the question of whether and how the protests could be transformed into a violent uprising against the government, only to immediately dismiss the idea. The protesters—the consensus of the group—were peaceful and would not support violence. The idea of occupying state television also came up, but fizzled out just as quickly.
This recording was published by several government-affiliated media outlets. The recording is seen by the government camp as evidence that the student protests are a movement funded by foreign agents, responsible for sinister plotting occuring behind closed doors.
Given this recording, whether it constitutes evidence enough to indict the activists for attempted sabotage of the constitutional order, is a matter of debate. Moreover, the lawyers of the accused claim that the Serbian secret service BIA illegally intercepted the conversation without a court order. Consequently, the indictment is invalid, and all of the accused should be immediately released from custody.
The opposition, therefore, maintains that the indictment was solely intended to set an example and delegitimize the protests. To show their solidarity with their teacher, the students of Marija Vasic have written in an open letter, "We may forget the sociology material, but we will never forget that she showed us what courage, fighting spirit, and perseverance mean."
Serbia Steps Up: From Student Protests to Nationwide Rebellion
Since the construction disaster in Novi Sad with 16 deaths, Serbia has been a hotbed of unrest. The initial student protest has morphed into a broader popular uprising that has reached every corner of society.
News: Mass protests at Serbian universitiesIn the whole of Serbia, students are taking to the streets and protesting for more rule of law. More than 40 faculties in the whole country are already occupied. Many citizens are joining the demonstrators.
- The controversy surrounding Marija Vasić's case, a teacher under house arrest, has extended beyond educational circles, with politics, crime-and-justice, and general-news outlets reporting on it, highlighting the government's alleged attempts to silence dissenting voices and the judiciary's struggle for independence.
- The hype surrounding a leaked audio recording, allegedly containing evidence of a planned coup by student activists, has stirred up war-and-conflicts debates in Serbia, leading to accusations of foreign interference, "color revolutions," and "terrorist" activities, despite a lack of substantial proof.
