Note of Protest
to:
President Minister of Culture Minister for Internal Affairs
of the Republic of Serbia of the Republic of Serbia of the Republic of Serbia
Mr. Boris Tadić Mr. Predrag Marković Ivica Dačić
We have been informed that the Government of the Republic of Serbia has decided to dismiss the writer Sreten Ugričić from his office as Director of Narodna Biblioteka Srbije. We also learned that the background of this decision lies in the fact that Sreten Ugričić signed a petition of support for his Montenegrin colleague, the writer and journalist Andrej Nikolaidis, after a text of Nikolaidis had been published in Serbian media.
Among all the signatories of the petition of the “Forum of Writers” Sreten Ugričić had been the only one who accounted for his signature through a statement, which in the meantime is as well accessible to the Serbian public. There he specifies his vote given for Andrej Nikolaidis as a vote “for the protection and the respect of the intellectual, human and democratic rights of Andrej Nikolaidis and in favor of his personal safety and integrity”.
Sreten Ugričić, in his statement, wisely makes clear that – even if Nikolaidis’ text may give “reason for controversy” this is by no means any justification for a campaign as it had been triggered by Serbian media. This is why he gives higher priority to the protection of the authors’ rights.
Sreten Ugričić is an outstanding Serbian writer and he is serving his country, the Republic of Serbia, in his office as director of the National Library in as well an outstanding way. His expertise as a librarian enjoys highest recognition among his international colleagues.
We, the undersigned, cannot find any reason in either the petition of the Serbian “Forum of Writers” nor in the personal statement of Sreten Ugričić regarding his signature of the petition, that might in any way justify his dismissal from a position where he is working since years for the benefit of the society of Serbia.
We express our deep disagreement with the decision of the Government of Serbia. It is certainly not a decision in favor of the Serbian readers and researchers and the entire intellectual community of that country.
1. Prof. Dr. Ulf Brunnbauer Universität Regensburg
2. Prof. Dr. Dagmar Burkhart Universität Mannheim
3. Prof. Dr. Gordana Crnković University of Washington
4. Prof. Dr. Raymond Detrez Ghent University
5. Prof. Dr. Susanne Frank HU Berlin
6. Prof. Dr. Hans Günther Universität Bielefeld
7. Prof. Dr. Jens Herlth Universität Freiburg (CH)
8. Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Jakir Sveučilište Split
9. Prof. Dr. Miranda Jakiša HU Berlin
10. Prof. Dr. Branislav Jakovljević Stanford University
11. Prof. Dr. Enver Kazaz Univerzitet Sarajevo
12. Prof. Dr. Renate Lachmann Universität Konstanz
13. Prof. Dr. Tomislav Longinović University of Wisconsin
14. Prof. Dr. Thomas Luckmann Universität Konstanz
15. Prof. Dr. Marija Mitrović Università degli Studi di Trieste
16. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Müller-Funk Universität Wien
17. Prof. Dr. Jurij Murašov Universität Konstanz
18. Prof. Dr. Angela Richter Universität Halle
19. Prof. Dr. Sylvia Sasse Universität Zürich
20. Prof. Dr. Schamma Schahadat Universität Tübingen
21.. Prof. Dr. Mireille Schnyder Universität Zürich
22. Prof. Dr. Oliver Schmitt Universität Wien
23. Prof. Dr. Holm Sundhaussen FU Berlin
24. Prof. Dr. Svjetlan Lacko Vidulić Sveučilište Zagreb
25. Prof. Dr. Tanja Zimmermann Universität Konstanz
26. Prof. Dr. Andrea Zink Universität Innsbruck
27. PD Dr. Riccardo Nicolosi Universität Bonn
28. Dr. Davor Beganović Universität Wien
29. Dr. Milka Car Sveučilište Zagreb
30. Dr. Gesine Drews-Sylla Universität Tübingen
31. Dr. Armina Galijaš Universität Graz
32. Dr. Mario Grizelj Universität München
33. Dr. Tatjana Petzer Universität Zürich
34. Dr. Pieter Plas Independent researcher Belgium
35. Dr. Boris Previšić Universität Basel
36. Dr. Clemens Ruthner Trinity College Dublin
37. Dr. Guido Snell University Amsterdam
38. Dr. Stijn Vervaet Ghent University
39. Dr. Irina Wuttsdorf Universität Tübingen
40. Rory Archer PhD Candidate Universität Graz
41. Aleksandar Bošković PhD Candidate University of Michigan
42. Nemanja Mitrović PhD Candidate University of Aberdeen
43. Aleksandar Pavlović PhD Candidate University of Nottingham
44. Ivana Perica PhD Candidate Universität Wien
Peščanik.net, 27.01.2012.
SLUČAJ SRETEN UGRIČIĆ