LAZAREVAC, 13.11.2018. – Caricatures critical of the Serbian authorities were ordered removed from an exhibit in the town of Lazarevac by the local authorities, the Novi Optimizam (New Optimism) movement said in a press release.
Caricatures by Dusan Petricic and Predrag Koraksic were removed from the exhibit titled Caricatures of our Lives at the local library. The exhibit was organized by Novi Optimizam as part of events to mark The International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism.
The Novi Optimizam press release said that the fact that the exhibit was shut down showed an “increasing fascistization of society, abuse of power and throttling of elementary human rights”.
Petricic and Koraksic have been known for their critical attitudes towards the authorities for more than 20 years. Petricic even lost his job with Belgrade newspaper Politika over a caricature critical of President Aleksandar Vucic. Koraksic came under fierce criticism recently over a caricature portraying two senior ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) spokesmen being nursed by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.
Koraksic’s caricature caricature was drawn and published in response to SNS MP and spokesman Aleksandar Martinovic and his deputy Vladimir Orlic (both of who were portrayed on the drawing) who attacked Danas daily newspaper. Koraksic publishes regularly in Danas.