Serbia: Defend And Protect Rights Defenders!

Statement in defense of rights defenders Women In Black - Belgrade and founder Stasa Zajovic

July 28, 2014

The individuals and organizations undersigned note with concern the increasing violence against the women’s peace organisation Women in Black -Belgrade, and in particular against its founder, Stasa Zajovic, who has been targeted repeatedly in the past few months by extreme-right political groups and individuals, as well as harassed by the police and justice system in her country. 

We will remain alert and closely monitor Serbian authorities’ actions to ensure Stasa Zajovic’s safety.

First Signatories :

Marieme Helie Lucas, International Co-ordinator Secularism Is A Women’s Issue

Karima Bennoune, Professor of Law and Martin Luther King Jr. Hall Research Scholar, University of California-Davis School of Law, Former Legal Advisor, Amnesty International.

Lynn Freedman, Professor, Columbia University, New York

Nira Yuval Davis, Director of the Research Centre on Migration, Refugees and Belonging at the University of East London; founder member of Women Against Fundamentalism, founder member of the international research network on women in militarized conflict zone

Maryam Namazie, Spokesperson of One Law for All, Council of Ex-Muslims and Fitnah – Movement for Women’s Liberation.

Jennifer Green
, Associate Professor, Director of Human Rights Clinic, University of Minnesota Law School

Virginia Vargas, Articulacion Feminista Marcosur, Peru

Anissa Helie, Professor of History, John Jay College, New York

Lalia Ducos, President, Women’s Initiative for Citizenship and Universal Rights

Harsh Kapoor, South Asia Citizen’s Web

Soad Baba Aïssa, AMEL Association pour la Mixité, l’Egalité et la Laïcité 
Georgina Ashworth, founder of CHANGE International Women’s Reports

Indai Lourdes Sajor 
Gender and Women, Peace and Security Adviser/Consultant

Fatou Sow, International Director 
Women Living Under Muslim Laws

Charlotte Bunch, Founding Director Center for Women’s Global Leadership, distinguished professor Department of Women and Gender Studies Rutgers University

Cynthia Rothschild, human rights consultant and activist

Edmée Ollagnier, docteur en psychologie – Genève

Rina Nissim, naturopathe et auteure - Genève

Malika Zouba, journalist

Ariane Brunet, human rights activist, Montreal

Dr. Laura McLeod, Lecturer in International Politics, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester

Mimouna Hadjam, association AFRICA

Audrey Macklin, Professor and Chair in Human Rights Law, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto

Zehra F. Kabasakal Arat, Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut, USA

Manisha Desai, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, University of Connecticut

V Spike Peterson, Professor of International Relations, U of Arizona, US

Rekha Pande, Professor and Head, Department of History,University of Hyderabad, India

Cynthia Enloe, Research Professor, Clark University

Raewyn Connell, University Professor, University of Sydney