Thousands rally in Serbia accusing populist government of cracking down on anti-lithium activists

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Several thousand people rallied Sunday in the Serbian capital, accusing the populist government of cracking down on environmental activists opposed to a large European Union-backed lithium excavation project planned in the Balkan country.

The protest outside the headquarters of the state RTS television station in central Belgrade comes after tens of thousands rallied in recent weeks against the opening of the lithium mine in western Serbia.

The state-controlled TV station is accused of ignoring the detentions of anti-lithium excavation activists.

Environmental organizations reported detentions of dozens of their activists after a big rally last month in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia, saying their homes were searched, laptops and phones confiscated while many faced threats on social media.

Activist Nina Stojanovic told the crowd on Sunday that a total of 30 to 60 people have been detained or questioned in the past two months throughout Serbia.

“We are here to protect everyone, to protect human rights and to be with each other,” she said. “We have to fight and we can do it."

Environmental groups say the planned lithium mine in the Jadar valley near the border with Bosnia would cause permanent damage to the environment in the area, including drinking water reserves and fertile land.

Officials argue that lithium mining is a prime chance for economic growth for the developing Balkan country. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic has said the protests were part of a Western-backed ploy to orchestrate his ouster.

Serbian police have said they detained people who blocked a highway and a railway line after the protest in Belgrade on Aug. 10, citing disruption of public law and order.

“What kind of a state do we live in if they arrest me for saying that the situation in Serbia already is catastrophic?” asked Bojan Simisic of the environmental group Eko Straza, or Eco Watch. “And they call us spies!”

Serbia has signed a tentative deal on “critical raw materials” with the European Union, which is looking to reduce a dependency on China for lithium and other key materials needed for green transition.

Vucic has received tacit support for the project from French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who both recently separately visited the Balkan state.

Serbia is formally seeking EU membership but its record of democracy remains poor as it maintains very close ties with both Russia and China. The EU memorandum on the mining could sway Serbia closer to the bloc, analysts say.

Exploration of the lithium and boron deposits in the Jadar valley has been done by multinational Rio Tinto mining company and the same company plans to run the mine.

Throughout its 150-year history, Rio Tinto has faced accusations of corruption, environmental degradation and human rights abuses at its excavation sites, a history that has raised alarm both among activists and locals in the Jadar valley.

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Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report.