Protest outside Constitutional Court of Serbia against Rio Tinto’s lithium project Jadar

Local group Ne damo Jadar and the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia held a protest rally in front of the Constitutional Court of Serbia against Rio Tinto’s project for a lithium mine and processing plant in the country’s west.

Activists chained the entrance to the Constitutional Court of Serbia in Belgrade today as they weren’t allowed to meet the institution’s President Snežana Marković or a deputy. The Ne damo Jadar group from Loznica area and the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS) organized a demonstration, upon a rumor that Rio Tinto’s project Jadar would be legally reinstated.

Hundreds of protesters gathered despite extreme heat to reiterate their opposition to lithium exploration and mining. They blocked one of the main streets in the center of the capital city. The company is also planning to build a processing facility for the jadarite mineral.

Constitutional Court fails to either deny or confirm it would rule on spatial plan for Rio Tinto’s project

Following mass protests, the Government of Serbia formally canceled the Jadar project in January 2022. But top officials led by President Aleksandar Vučić kept suggesting that it could be revived.

The Constitutional Court didn’t confirm or deny speculation that it scheduled a session on the matter for today. Rio Tinto allegedly launched an initiative to the tribunal to examine the constitutionality of the government’s decision to abolish the local spatial plan that included the lithium project.

Demonstrators blocked one of Belgrade’s main streets despite scorching heat

Zlatko Kokanović and Nebojša Petković from Ne damo Jadar also submitted, together with attorney Sarah El Sarag, a request for a list of initiatives by the company and its subsidiary Rio Sava as well as all others regarding the annulment of the Jadar spatial plan. The two men were arrested last weekend at a protest in Loznica and criminally charged.

It followed a larger rally, held in the same city on June 28, when activists threatened to block railroads if the authorities don’t permanently ban lithium and boron exploration and mining in entire Serbia.

Vučić: 2022 project annulment was work of two western intelligence services

National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić, the previous prime minister, accused the protesters today of disregarding the independence of the judiciary and prosecutors.

Vučić yesterday reiterated his claim that western intelligence agencies were responsible for the abolishment of the Jadar project in 2022. He refused to name them. The president did say they were at least two and that they created “a real small masterpiece.” The goal was to stop China’s influence and for Serbia to be late, according to Vučić.

“If we started on time, we would’ve had the mine in 2026. We would have tremendous advantage relative to all others,” he stated. Vučić estimated that Serbia would come under pressure to deliver the raw material. He stressed that investors would only be able to export batteries and cathodes, if they build factories in the country.

Of note, the opponents of the Jadar project already submitted a petition in 2022 with over 38,000 signatures, in accordance with the Law on the Referendum and the People’s Initiative, to ban the exploration and mining of lithium and boron in the country. It obligated the National Assembly of Serbia to discuss the matter but it disregarded the document.