Lithium mining plans deepen divisions within Serbia

Environmentalist group Eko straža held a protest in front of the building of Serbia’s public broadcaster RTS to highlight the arrests and the criminal charges against several dozen activists campaigning to ban the exploration and mining of lithium and boron ores. On the other hand, the country’s Ministry of Mining and Energy said it received an anonymous threat related to Rio Tinto’s Jadar project.

As many as sixty opponents to lithium mining and participants in demonstrations have been apprehended over the last two and a half months, Nina Ciganović from environmentalist group Eko straža said at a rally outside Serbia’s public broadcaster RTS in Belgrade. Most were arrested on August 17. Seven days earlier, the biggest in a string of protests throughout the country was held in the capital, with the demand for a nationwide ban on the exploration and mining of lithium and boron ores.

Some activists are suspected of or charged with serious crimes – calling for a violent change in the constitutional order and inciting ethnic, racial and religious hatred and intolerance. In addition, a number of them have witnessed suspicious fires at some of their properties, faced sudden tax inspection or received threats on social networks.

The police apprehended at least one person in almost every town and village where demonstrations were held. Among them are people from initiatives and movements such as Eko straža and Čuvari/ke vatre as well as opposition parties: Kreni-promeni (Go-Change), Serbia Center – SRCE and others. They supported the protest that was organized outside RTS.

High tensions for nearly three months over lithium mining projects

In mid-June, Rio Tinto enhanced the propaganda campaign for opening a disputed mine and installing a processing facility in the valley of the Jadar river in the country’s west, near the city of Loznica. At the time, President Aleksandar Vučić hinted that the government would renew support for the project, after banning it in early 2022 amid massive demonstrations. It prompted another series of protests throughout Serbia against the investment, against lithium mining in general, but also other current mining plans and in connection with local environmental issues.

The Constitutional Court soon annulled the decision of the Government of Serbia to abolish the spatial plan for the Jadar project, so the executive immediately reinstated it. Then it signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission on the establishment of a strategic partnership for raw materials and the value chain in the areas of batteries and electric vehicles.

Simišić: Everyone should become eco-activist

Eko straža demands time from RTS in its prime-time news within a week. The organization urged for disciplinary measures for individuals in the prosecutor’s office that ordered the arrests and initiated the processes against activists and the search of their homes, and for the seized mobile devices to be returned.

The public broadcaster did briefly report on the protest live in its main news program.

Activists are facing charges for calling for a violent change in the constitutional order and inciting ethnic, racial and religious hatred and intolerance

Eko straža founder Bojan Simišić told the crowd that the authorities are making up criminal acts and accused government-leaning tabloids of smearing the opponents of lithium exploration and mining by calling them traitors and spies. “Everyone has the right to a healthy environment,” he stressed, quoting a passage from the constitution, and pointed out that everyone has to be an activist for it to be possible to preserve the environment in Serbia.

Simišić claimed that the authorities are harassing the members of the families of numerous activists and demonstrators including his own wife.

Example of successful struggle against corporation

The speakers at the protest noted that the government ignored a people’s initiative from two years ago with over 38,000 signatures to ban lithium and boron exploration and mining. The National Assembly was obligated by law to discuss the motion.

Research Associate Aleksandar Matković from the Institute of Economic Sciences said the fight would be bitter and long. “Portugal is watching this. Chile is watching this. Citizens of other countries are watching this. They are looking at you. They are watching you and your struggle, as to them you are an example of a successful struggle against a corporation. Because if you didn’t take a stand, they would be digging already,” he told the protesters.

Researcher Aleksandar Matković from the Institute of Economic Sciences received death threats for his column

Matković has received anonymous death threats for a column in which he analyzed the potential damage from the Jadar lithium project and leaning on mining investment and warned that Serbia can become “Europe’s mining colony.”

Notably, a new and anonymous group called Kopaćemo (We Shall Dig) published on its website what it called an “eco-terrorist registry, targeting 20 people including several protest organizers. Among them are Zlatko Kokanović, Nebojša Petković and Marijana Petković from the Ne damo Jadar group and the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia.

Ministry receives threat, too

Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović said the ministry received an anonymous threat, by email, related to the Jadar project.

According to the statement, the employees are being intimidated and threatened. The ministry criticized “fake environmentalists and politicians” for attempting to overthrow the government using violence.