The media and civil society organizations demand from the Ministry of Finance and the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering to immediately present the grounds for suspicion due to which they ordered the extraordinary collection of information about organizations, media, and individuals from the commercial banks. The article of the law, referred to by the director of the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering, states that such inspection should be performed exclusively for organizations for which there are grounds for suspicion of their involvement in the financing of terrorism. Since the list includes numerous organizations and individuals dealing with investigative journalism, protection of human rights, transparency, film production, development of democracy, rule of law and philanthropy, the conclusion is that this is a political abuse of institutions and a dangerous attempt to further collapse the rule of law in Serbia.

The abuse of legal mechanisms and institutions to unlawfully put pressure on the media and civil society organizations is a drastic attack on freedom of association and freedom of information. For years, the government in Serbia has been facing serious criticism from both international and domestic organizations regarding the threat to these two important freedoms. Such an attack on organizations that advocate for establishing Serbia as a state governed by the rule of law with respect for the law and a genuine fight against corruption, is an additional argument that these values are seriously endangered in Serbia. Organizations, media and citizens will not give up the fight for a free and democratic state, regardless of threats and pressures. Such and similar moves by the authorities only further motivate us as citizens to persevere in the defense of our own country.

The media and organizations will take all appropriate legal actions against those involved in this abuse, including the prosecution of those responsible, but above all they will insist on complete and clear answers on how this could have happened. We remind the public that the organizations and media from the list are subject to various types of regular state control, including inspections and rigorous checks of financial operations by the Tax Administration and the National Bank of Serbia, as well as by their own donors. Any legal inspection of the work of organizations is welcome and we will always support it. On the other hand, we will fiercely oppose the abuse of institutions and procedures, because that is our mission – the fight for a democratic and legal state.

Signatories:

1. A1 Novi Pazar
2. Academy of Women’s Leadership
3. Dr Srećko Djukić, Forum for International Relations of the European Movement in Serbia (FMO)
4. Anja Anđušić, FM
5. AS – Center for Empowerment of Young People Living with HIV and AIDS
6. Association of Independent Electronic Media – ANEM
7. Association of online media
8. ASTRA, Belgrade
9. Autonomous Women’s Center
10. BeFem
11. Belgrade Open School
12. Belgrade Center for Security Policy
13. Belgrade Center for Human Rights
14. Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence
15. BIRN
16. BIRODI
17. Boom93
18. CANVAS
19. Center for Democracy and Development of Southern Serbia
20. European Policy Center
21. Center for Nonviolent Action
22. Center for practical politics
23. Center for Local Media Development
24. Center for Regionalism Novi Sad
25. Center for the Advancement of Society
26. Center for Women’s Studies
27. CINS
28. City radio
29. Civil Rights Defenders
30. CK13
31. CRTA
32. Daca Jović, activist
33. Dajana Đedović, Forum for Culture of the European Movement in Serbia (FzK)
34. Danas
35. Dijalog.net Valjevo
36. Đorđe Popović, FMO
37. Dr Aleksandra Bosnić Đurić, cultural scientist
38. Dr Milorad Đurić, political scientist
39. Dr Sonja Avlijaš, FzK
40. Dragan Srećković
41. Society for adult education
42. European Movement in Serbia
43. European Movement Valjevo (Slavica and Vladimir Pantić)
44. Network of the European Movement in Serbia
45.  B92 Fund
46. Humanitarian Rights Fund
47. Foundation Ana and Vlade Divac
48. Foundation Catalyst Balkans
49. Foundation Pons Niš
50. Foundation Propulsion fund
51. Foundation for Freedom of the Press – Senta
52. Goran Cetinic, member of the FMO
53. Civic initiatives
54. Civic attitude
55. Hartefakt Fund
56. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights
57. Humanitarian center Mitrovica
58. Impuls – Tutin
59. A11 Initiative
60. Youth Initiative for Human Rights
61. Institute for European Affairs
62. InTER
63. Internet portal Media box, Niš
64. Transparency Serbia 
65. ISAC Fund
66. Ivana Jovanović, European Youth Movement Forum in Serbia (FM)
67. Južne vesti
68. Coalition PreUgovor
69. Kolubarske.rs
70. Lawyers’ Committee For Human Rights – YUCOM
71. Consultations for lesbians
72. KRIK
73. Libek
74. Link plus
75. Local press
76. Milivoj Bešlin, FMO
77. MillenniuM
78. New Solidarity Network
79. Network of Human Rights Committees in Serbia CHRIS
80. Don’t let Belgrade d(r)own
81. Nedim Sejdinović, journalist
82. Nenad Šebek, media and CSO consultant
83. Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina
84. NON-ALIGNED FILMS
85. New Economy
86. New optimism
87. Novi Sad School of Journalism
88. Novi Sad Humanitarian Center
89. NUNS
90. NGO Aktiv
91. Human Rights Committee Negotin
92. Human Rights Committee Niš
93. PATOS, Smederevo
94. Podrinjski Anti-Corruption Team Pact
95. Proaktiv
96. Protecta
97. Radio Zlatousti
98. Regional Information Agency JUGpress
99. Reconstruction Women's Fund
100. Re-Kraft
101. Remark DPCM
102. Res Publica Kragujevac
103. Sandžački Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms
104. Sanja Ivačić, FMO
105. Slavica Stojanović
106. Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
107. Slobodan Georgiev
108. Smart kolektiv
109. Students for Liberty – Serbia
110. Timok Youth Center – TOC, Zaječar
111. Trag Foundation
112. Association Kutija, Niš
113. Association Fenomena
114. Citizens Association AIM Centar
115. Citizens Association for combating human trafficking and all forms of violence against women “Atina”
116. Citizens Association ”NE-BO”, Negotin
117. Pakt Loznica
118. Bečej Youth Association
119. Women's Association Peščanik Kruševac
120. Center for civil values from Subotica
121. Urban In – Novi Pazar
122. Victimology society of Serbia
123. Vojvodina recommended
124. Vojvodina Civic Center
125. Vukašin Obradović
126. Zaječar Initiative
127. Women in Black
128. Women for Peace Leskovac