Serbian experts support conservator Estela Radonjić Živkov amid Ministry of Culture investigation

Professional associations, academic communities, and civil society organizations in Serbia have issued a public letter of support for conservator Estela Radonjić Živkov. Supporters claim she is facing institutional pressure and attempts at discredit following her professional involvement regarding the General Staff building complex.

Radonjić Živkov is currently a witness in a court proceeding against officials from the Ministry of Culture and two monument protection institutes regarding the alleged illegal removal of the General Staff buildings' status as cultural property. Simultaneously, she was summoned by the Criminal Police Directorate and the Service for the Fight against Corruption following a criminal complaint filed against her by the Ministry of Culture.

Signatories, including the Society of Conservators of Serbia, Europa Nostra Serbia, and the Association of Architects of Serbia, expressed concern that these actions aim to intimidate experts and create an atmosphere of fear within the professional community, potentially hindering the ability of specialists to provide testimony freely.