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Serbian Police Conduct Raid on 4 Civil Society Organizations Suspected of Misusing USAID Funds

February 25, 2025 TruthUSA

A Serbian prosecutor stated that investigations are ongoing following the recent review of U.S. foreign aid by the Trump administration through USAID.

On Feb. 25, the police in Serbia conducted raids on the offices of at least four civil society organizations as part of an inquiry into allegations of misusing funds provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

During a press conference on Tuesday, Serbian state prosecutor Nenad Stefanović confirmed the police raids, citing the need to gather evidence of funds misuse and potential money laundering by the organizations receiving USAID funds.

The prosecutor, Nenad Stefanović, referenced criticisms of USAID by members of the Trump administration, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Trump adviser Elon Musk, in justifying the investigative actions.

Stefanović also mentioned seeking assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to obtain financial records for the investigation into nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Efforts to reach out to the DOJ for comments on the Serbian government investigations did not yield a response by publication time.

The targeted NGOs, as named by the Serbian prosecutor, include the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability (CRTA); Civic Initiatives; the Trag Foundation; and an office associated with the Human Rights House Foundation.

Civil Society Organizations’ Response

CRTA acknowledged the police visit to its Belgrade office and stated cooperation with authorities in a post shared on Facebook.

CRTA has been involved in election observing activities in Serbia and operates Istinomer.rs, a platform that conducts online fact-checking and flags potentially misleading content for Facebook and Instagram.

The Trag Foundation, which supports various causes including women’s causes and entrepreneurship, also acknowledged police activity at its offices.

In response to the police action, the Trag Foundation released a statement on Facebook condemning the move as an attempt to intimidate civil society organizations.

Civic Initiatives reported that approximately 20 police officers conducted a raid at their office without presenting a search warrant, calling it a violation of civil rights and an attack on civil society in Serbia.

Civic Initiatives also clarified that the Human Rights House Foundation office in Belgrade had not received USAID funding.

Increasing Scrutiny on NGOs

The recent police raids coincide with discussions in Serbian society about legislation that would require NGOs to register as foreign agents if a majority of their funding comes from foreign sources. They would also need to disclose their funding and activities and label their material as coming from registered foreign agents.

Advocates of the foreign agent registration law argue that it enhances transparency as some civil society organizations openly oppose the state’s interests.

Serbia faced unrest over alleged irregularities during the 2023 parliamentary election cycle, with protests escalating to an attempted break-in at the Belgrade city council building on Dec. 24, 2023.

Following a deadly roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad on Nov. 1, 2024, mass protests erupted in Serbia, with demonstrators blaming government corruption for allowing construction with subpar workmanship.

Critics of the foreign agent registration legislation, both within and outside Serbia, argue that it stigmatizes civil society organizations and suppresses their freedom of expression.

Similar to legislation passed in Georgia, Serbia’s proposed foreign agent registry has raised concerns about its impact on democratic values, human rights, and European integration, potentially hindering Serbia’s EU membership aspirations.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) cautioned that adopting a foreign agent registration law in Serbia could jeopardize its EU integration goals and endanger the role of civil society organizations in upholding democratic principles.

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