Professor Svetomir Milojević, a regular professor at the Faculty of Technical Sciences in North Mitrovica, issued a public denial regarding false claims made about him in the tabloid press. In a statement shared through our portal, Professor Milojević clarified that the reports published in the ALO and Novosti newspapers, suggesting he had withdrawn his support for a petition backing student protests in Serbia, are entirely fabricated.
“I have never given any statement, not to them, nor any other media, prior to this conversation with you tonight, nor would I ever say such a thing. I fully stand behind my public signature on the petition, supporting the students and colleagues at state universities in Serbia. Everything else is a lie,” said Professor Milojević.
The tabloid ALO published a headline today claiming that at least four professors from Kosovo had withdrawn their names from a petition supporting protests in Serbia. The article included a quote attributed to Professor Milojević, stating:
„I withdrew my signature. I was misled because I was told that this was organized without any political agenda. When I realized that politics was involved, I withdrew my signature.“
However, Professor Milojević vehemently denied this statement, emphasizing that no journalist had contacted him for a comment. He insists that his support for the students and professors protesting in Serbia remains unwavering and that the false report has caused him considerable distress.
“I am shocked and disturbed by this misinformation,” said the professor.
“I only found out about it when I started receiving calls from friends in Belgrade, Zvornik, and other places asking me how I could sign something and then deny it.”
Professor Milojević also expressed his intention to take legal action against ALO and other media outlets that published the inaccurate claims.
“These are not my words. No journalist contacted me, and I will sue anyone who publishes these falsehoods. I will not tolerate being misrepresented and publicly humiliated,” he stated.
Professor Milojević, one of the signatories of the petition in support of the students, is listed as the 40th person to endorse the initiative, which was launched on December 11th. As of the time of writing, the petition has been signed by 360 academics, students, and assistants from the University of Priština with a temporary seat in Kosovska Mitrovica.
“I do not withdraw my support for youth, knowledge, and the future,” added Professor Milojević.
He further explained his support for the protests, saying, “For me, this is support for youth, support for knowledge, support for something with perspective—something we’ve always relied on and must continue to rely on. Students have brought us great things in history, and today, they are fighting against lies, ignorance, and many other problems we face in Serbia.”
The professor also urged student leaders to ensure their protests remain free from political influence.
“They must not allow any political manipulation of their protests, whether by the government or the opposition. They should rise above the day-to-day political struggle,” he advised.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
