On Monday 22 August, Serbian activist Boban Stojanovic, one of the organisers of Belgrade Pride, was a victim of a brutal attack in downtown Belgrade. Boban received light injuries, while initially he was verbally harassed by the two unidentified perpetrators.
This is not the first attack against Boban Stojanovic, while this is the 5th attack in a row against an LGBTI person in Serbia recorded in 2016, according to the findings of “Da se zna”, a recently established organization which document acts of violence and discrimination against LGBTI people. Of these 5 attacks, only 2 have been reported to the police which shows the high level of distrust towards state authorities. This is also confirmed by the initial findings of a survey conducted in early 2016 by the Public Policy Research Center according to which, a significant number of respondents have stated that they rarely report these cases to the police as they do not trust that authorities will consider and respond to them.
The impunity of the cases of attacks against LGBTI activists in Serbia is another proof of the lack of political will to properly sanctio perpetrators, a reality that has, unfortunately, been the case in the other countries of the region, as well.
LGBTI organizations in Serbia and the region have strongly condemned the attack against Boban Stojanovic, and call upon competent state authorities to urgently investigate the case and to properly sentence the perpetrators. We also urge the government and human righs institutions to address the systemic discrimination and violence suffered by LGBTI people at to give an end to ignorance and prejudice which steer homophobic and transphobic attacks. 
Source: Da se zna
Photo Credits: Jelena Jovic, Fabrika Fotografa ©
Organisations:
– Youth Initiative for Human Rights
– Gayten-LGBT
– ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey
– Civil Rights Defenders
– Labris – Lesbian human rights organisation
– Konsultacije za lezbejke – Gayten,
– DA SE ZNA
– Belgrade Pride Parade
– Subversive Front