<strong>Implementation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Transitional</strong> <strong>Laws</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> <strong>2006</strong><strong>of</strong> Hare Krishna” 854 . The perpetrators <strong>of</strong> this crim<strong>in</strong>al act have not beenfound yet.On March 15 th , <strong>2006</strong> the Initiative submitted the first crim<strong>in</strong>al report aga<strong>in</strong>sta John Doe 855 for execution <strong>of</strong> a crim<strong>in</strong>al act <strong>of</strong> “<strong>in</strong>stigat<strong>in</strong>g national, racialand religious discord and <strong>in</strong>tolerance” 856 . To date, no <strong>in</strong>formation arrivedon measures that the prosecution undertook with the aim to f<strong>in</strong>d andsanction responsible persons. The second crim<strong>in</strong>al report 857 to the DistrictPublic Prosecution <strong>in</strong> Jagod<strong>in</strong>a was submitted on July 3 rd , <strong>2006</strong> aga<strong>in</strong>stJohn Doe for execution <strong>of</strong> crim<strong>in</strong>al act “<strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>stigat<strong>in</strong>g national, racial andreligious hatred <strong>of</strong> discord and <strong>in</strong>tolerance” 858 and “aggravated assault andbattery” 859 . The District Public Prosecution <strong>in</strong> Jagod<strong>in</strong>a has not broughtone <strong>in</strong>dictment to date for the mentioned <strong>in</strong>cidents.Under the Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code <strong>of</strong> the Republic <strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>, whoever <strong>in</strong>stigatesor exacerbates national, racial or religious hatred or <strong>in</strong>tolerance amongthe peoples and ethnic communities liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> shall be punished byimprisonment <strong>of</strong> six months to five years 860 . If this crim<strong>in</strong>al act is committedby coercion, maltreatment, compromis<strong>in</strong>g security or damage to otherpersons’ goods, the <strong>of</strong>fender shall be punished by imprisonment <strong>of</strong> oneto eight years 861 . Instigat<strong>in</strong>g means creat<strong>in</strong>g hatred, discord and <strong>in</strong>tolerancethat did not exist until then, while exacerbat<strong>in</strong>g assumes existence <strong>of</strong> some<strong>of</strong> these feel<strong>in</strong>gs and its further development and strengthen<strong>in</strong>g. Hatred ishostile feel<strong>in</strong>g to someone and represents a psychosocial ground for creat<strong>in</strong>gconflict situations and tak<strong>in</strong>g certa<strong>in</strong> actions 862 . Although the right to freechoice <strong>of</strong> religion is protected <strong>in</strong> the above-mentioned documents, butalso <strong>in</strong> many domestic and <strong>in</strong>ternational documents, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the Charteron Human and M<strong>in</strong>ority Rights and Fundamental Freedoms <strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>-Montenegro 863 , Constitution <strong>of</strong> the Republic <strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> 864 , the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights 865 , the Universal Declaration <strong>of</strong>854 Ibid855 The Initiative filed the first crim<strong>in</strong>al charges aga<strong>in</strong>st a John Doe on March 15 th , <strong>2006</strong> and available <strong>in</strong> theInitiative’s documentation856 Crim<strong>in</strong>al Code <strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>, Article 317, item 2, see above under 611857 The Initiative submitted the second crim<strong>in</strong>al charges aga<strong>in</strong>st a John Doe on July 3 rd , <strong>2006</strong> and available <strong>in</strong> theInitiative’s documentation archives858 See above under 856859 Ibid., Article 121860 Ibid., Article 317, item 1861 Ibid., Article 317, item 2862 Yugoslav Crim<strong>in</strong>al Law, Ljubisa Lazarevic, Savremena Adm<strong>in</strong>istracija, 1998.863 Charter on Human and M<strong>in</strong>ority Rights, see above under 36864 Constitution <strong>of</strong> the Republic <strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>, see above under 7865 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, see above under 28158
<strong>Implementation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Transitional</strong> <strong>Laws</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> <strong>2006</strong>Human Rights 866 and the European Convention for Protection <strong>of</strong> HumanRights and Fundamental Freedoms 867 , the assaulters aga<strong>in</strong>st Zivota Milanovichave not been brought to justice to date.Ethnically Motivated Violence <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Serbia</strong>n ArmyAnis Masovic (21) from Prijepolje served his military service <strong>in</strong> 2005<strong>in</strong> Pozarevac, army post <strong>of</strong>fice 5303/4a. By what he told the Initiative’s<strong>in</strong>vestigator 868 , on May 25 th , 2005 Anis was mow<strong>in</strong>g the grass <strong>in</strong> the barrackswhen one soldier threw a stone and hit him <strong>in</strong> the neck. Anis respondedto this by say<strong>in</strong>g: “Why are you throw<strong>in</strong>g stones, moron?” 869 Accord<strong>in</strong>g toAnis, such <strong>in</strong>cidents are common <strong>in</strong> the army and he did not th<strong>in</strong>k thatany bigger <strong>in</strong>cident might take place. Anis described the events the nextnight: “I came tired <strong>in</strong>to the dormitory room, so I lay to bed right away...At around 11 pm I was awoken by a blow. When I opened my eyes, I saw ashovel near<strong>in</strong>g me. I pulled my head fast so they did not hit me <strong>in</strong> the back.Only then I saw that a group <strong>of</strong> five to seven young men was attack<strong>in</strong>g mewith shovels, metal bars and fists. I tried to defend myself, but there weremore <strong>of</strong> them so I got several hits <strong>in</strong> my body. Then I started to screamand ask for help... At that moment, a light turned on and I saw the last two.I recognized them as two soldiers from my platoon, Nemanja Djuric andAleksandar Stanojevic” 870 .Damaged Anis Masovic told Initiative’s <strong>in</strong>vestigators that he was presentwhen two soldiers were giv<strong>in</strong>g statements on the <strong>in</strong>cident that happened tothe soldier on call and that soldier Zeljko Bac<strong>in</strong>ac said that he was contactedby some soldiers dur<strong>in</strong>g the day (he told their names to the solider on call)and asked him whether he wanted to be <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> the beat<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>of</strong>Muslims that night. Other soldier, Dusan Savic was witness <strong>of</strong> the assaultand he recognized the attackers. In a statement to Judge <strong>of</strong> the PozarevacMunicipal Court Dragan Todorovic, Anis Masovic po<strong>in</strong>ted out that he wasappo<strong>in</strong>ted platoon commander, but the soldiers unwill<strong>in</strong>gly executed thewarrants he was giv<strong>in</strong>g them, comment<strong>in</strong>g that they do not want to beordered by a Muslim 871 .866 Adopted and proclaimed <strong>in</strong> the United Nations General Assembly’s Decision 217 (III) <strong>of</strong> December 10,1948; 48 states voted for, none voted aga<strong>in</strong>st, while eight were restra<strong>in</strong>ed (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Yugoslavia)867 The European Convention for Protection <strong>of</strong> Human Rights, see above under 29868 Report on the <strong>in</strong>cident – case “Anis Masovic”, available <strong>in</strong> the Initiative’s documentation869 Ibid870 Ibid871 Report from the trial <strong>of</strong> October 24 th , 2005, available <strong>in</strong> the Initiative’s documentation159