"Abolishment of Latin script verdict legal"

The Novi Sad court that abolished the verdict of neo-Nazi group Nacionalni Stroj leader Goran Davidovic said that the decision was legally sound. The District Court in Novi Sad abolished the verdict after an appeal by Davidovic, which pointed out that parts of the court papers where in Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, and parts in Serbian Latin. "Abolishment of Latin script verdict legal" The court stated that the Municipal Court’s verdict which called for Davidovic to pay journalist Dinko Gruhonjic RSD 500,000 for damaging his honor, reputation and rights, violated the indictee's rights because it “contrary to the provisions of the law denied the accused his request to use his language and script in the procedures”. The District Court stated that the breached law calls for processes to be conducted in both standard Serbian dialects – Ekavian and Iyekavian – and that Cyrillic alphabet be used in the process, and Latin in accordance with the Constitution and laws. The court also stated that the statute of the city of Novi Sad calls for the Serbian language and Cyrillic to be used officially. "Even in the territories of those municipalities in Serbia that have Cyrillic and Latin for administrative use at the same time, in litigation procedures, the parties have the right to use their own language and script,” the statement adds. Gruhonjic sued Davidovic for statements he made in his book “The Case of National Front”. On Wednesday, the Belgrade Human Rights Center warned that "there are signs that that courts in Serbia increasingly are showing a lot of understanding for people who openly present themselves as fascists". “This could be written off as a precedent, based on which many court decisions could be overruled and many court cases before the local courts could be disrupted,” the center stated. “It is the internationally protected right of all people to address the court in whatever language he or she understand. If the Serbian Constitution proclaims Cyrillic as being official, that only includes the courts as the state organ, not the parties before it,” the center adds. “We now expect that the extradition of Davidovic will be impossible, because the Italian courts do not read Cyrillic, which is the only way in which the Serbian bodies can address them,” the statement adds. Justice Minister Snezana Malovic said initiate a review of the decision to abolish the verdict. She said will ask the regulatory committee of the Supreme Court of Serbia will look into the Novi Sad court's decision. A file photo of MUP Gendarmes detaining Davidovic (FoNet)

"Abolishment of Latin script verdict legal"

The court stated that the Municipal Court’s verdict which called for Davidović to pay journalist Dinko Gruhonjić RSD 500,000 for damaging his honor, reputation and rights, violated the indictee's rights because it “contrary to the provisions of the law denied the accused his request to use his language and script in the procedures”.

The District Court stated that the breached law calls for processes to be conducted in both standard Serbian dialects – Ekavian and Iyekavian – and that Cyrillic alphabet be used in the process, and Latin in accordance with the Constitution and laws.

The court also stated that the statute of the city of Novi Sad calls for the Serbian language and Cyrillic to be used officially.

"Even in the territories of those municipalities in Serbia that have Cyrillic and Latin for administrative use at the same time, in litigation procedures, the parties have the right to use their own language and script,” the statement adds.

Gruhonjić sued Davidović for statements he made in his book “The Case of National Front”.

On Wednesday, the Belgrade Human Rights Center warned that "there are signs that that courts in Serbia increasingly are showing a lot of understanding for people who openly present themselves as fascists".

“This could be written off as a precedent, based on which many court decisions could be overruled and many court cases before the local courts could be disrupted,” the center stated.

“It is the internationally protected right of all people to address the court in whatever language he or she understand. If the Serbian Constitution proclaims Cyrillic as being official, that only includes the courts as the state organ, not the parties before it,” the center adds.

“We now expect that the extradition of Davidović will be impossible, because the Italian courts do not read Cyrillic, which is the only way in which the Serbian bodies can address them,” the statement adds.

Justice Minister Snežana Malović said initiate a review of the decision to abolish the verdict.

She said will ask the regulatory committee of the Supreme Court of Serbia will look into the Novi Sad court's decision.