A number of human rights organisations have developed into professional watchdog organisations in Serbia. But, the majority are not using legal mechanisms and advocacy in their work, mostly because of distrust in institutions and long legal procedures. We help them coordinate their initiatives with other actors, provide trainings and assist in developing long-term strategies.
Read about the current human rights situation in our country report Human rights in Serbia
Civil Rights Defenders welcomes the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Serbia, stating that the ban on the Pride Parade 2011 was a violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of assembly. The court awarded the Pride Parade Belgrade association €500 for immaterial damages.
Nataša Kandić, founder of Humanitarian Law Center, Serbia, is the recipient of the 2013 “Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award”. Nataša Kandić receives the prize: “For her persistent and fearless work on documenting war crimes and the most serious human rights abuses in the former Yugoslavia, and for supporting war crimes trials by providing courts with evidence and witnesses.”
The Roma population in Serbia is continuously exposed to severe discrimination and persistently threatened or actually victimized by acts of forced eviction from their homes. To raise the awareness of their situation and to discuss what can be done to tackle discrimination, Civil Rights Defenders organised three round table discussions and street actions in October and November 2012.
A country with one foot in the door of the EU, where seven out of ten people regard homosexuality as a disease. A country where coming out as a gay person may result in a broken nose, a fractured jaw, and emotional wounds that will never heal.
In the beginning of October 2012, Civil Rights Defenders launched an upgraded version of the web tool CAPTCHA – which can detect human empathy. The Captcha has become world news, with more than 300 published articles and thousands of tweets.
On Sunday, 30 September, Pride week opened in Serbia, a week full of seminars, debates and art exhibitions, in support of the countrys LGBT community. For the second year in a row, the authorities are now banning the parade, claiming that national security is endangered, The Parade is not only a symbol for LGBT people’s rights; it is also a demonstration of every citizen’s right to freedom of expression and assembly.
(Updated in October 2012) Since October 2009, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered 61 judgments finding that Serbia had violated the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in 54 cases. At the time of reporting, there are 7.050 applications against Serbia pending, which is almost 4.6% of all [...]
A court in Belgrade has delivered a judgment requiring Serbia to pay RSD 360,000 to Sead Rovčanin for the torture inflicted on him in 1993 by members of the Interior Ministry. This is a great result of Civil Rights Defenders work together with Humanitarian Law Centre on providing legal representation to victims of grave human rights violations in the 1990s.
Only 4 of the European Council’s 27 principles for press freedom have been fully implemented in Serbia, the first comprehensive report on the media situation in the country: Serbian Media Scene VS European Standards, suggests. Free press is a cornerstone for democratic development; in this report the challenges lying ahead of the Serbian media scene become evident. This report is a result of a yearlong cooperation between Civil Rights Defenders and local partners.
Between 30th September and 6th October a Pride festival will be organised in the Serbian capital Belgrade. Swedish Minister for EU-affairs Birgitta Ohlsson is one of the opening speakers. Her participation is an important gesture of solidarity, at a time when it is difficult or even impossible to organise Pride festivals in many parts of Europe.
![[:en]View conversation about the banned parade in Belgrade 2011[:sv]Se videosamtal om prideparaden som förbjöds i Belgrad 2011](http://www.civilrightsdefenders.org/files/belgrade_pride_2011-300x185.jpg)
Despite months of planning and intense dialogue with state authorities the Belgrade Pride parade was banned, three days before it was scheduled to take place on October 2, 2011. Listen to Boban Stojanovic and Goran Miletic explain what happened in this interview by Natasha Jevtic Esbjörnson, Head of Communications at Civil Rights Defenders.
Winner of the Eurovision song contest 2012 – Loreen expresses her support of Pride in Belgrade 2012.
Civil Rights Defenders in collaboration with Media Center Belgrade and Olof Palme Center, invite you to a series of quick panels with over 30 experts from civil society organizations, media and research institutes. Important questions concerning the electoral system, corruption, human rights, justice and equality in Serbia will be discussed. Date: 6th May 2012th Time: [...]
In recognition of outstanding efforts made by individuals, organizations, institutions, companies and media in combating discrimination against minorities and in supporting equality in Serbia, the Coalition Against Discrimination has presented it’s annual awards on 4th May.The Coalition Against Discrimination was initiated by Civil Rights Defenders and Centre for Advanced Legal Studies.
Together with our partners we have sent a letter to the President of Serbia and institutions within the EU urging them to immediately release Hasan Abazi. Hasan Abazi has for the past two weeks been detained in Vranje without access to a lawyer.
Listen to the Serbian journalists Svetlana Lukic and Svetlana Vukovic. For many years they have worked to enhance the public debate in Serbia. They are working with Peščanik, a radio show and web platform, a unique forum for informing about human rights. Pescanik has been described as ‘anti-Serbian’ or ‘treacherous’ by other media. Seminar March 28.
Together with our partners in Serbia we are appealing to the members of the Serbian National Assembly to adopt the drafted amendments to the Law on Non-Contentious Proceedings. Any further delay on this issue would be unfair to legally invisible persons.
Civil Rights Defenders is organising an innovative training in using social networking tools to increase awareness, encourage action and empower communities.
By exposing violations of human rights and other difficult topics, Svetlana Lukic and her co-workers at Pescanik’s web site attract 200.000 visitors per month. Her uncompromising way to handle sensitive and, in the view of many, controversial issues makes her a target of attacks by extremist groups.
The right to a fair hearing and access to court are the most frequent problems regarding the right to fair trial in Serbia, according to a report published by Civil Rights Defenders in collaboration with Youth Initiative for Human Rights.
Civil Rights Defenders is organising a two-day regional conference in cooperation with Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) on the theme “The role of civil society, citizens and media in the Western Balkans: Challenges as an opportunity“. The conference will be held in Sarajevo, November 22-23. Journalists, activists and civil society organisations from the [...]
Dragan Markovic Palma, Mayor of Jagodina and President of the parlamentary party United Serbia has been convicted of hate speech. Civil Rights Defenders welcomes the verdict but worries about the fact that the Mayor’s reaction to is was new hate speech.
Despite months of planning and intense dialogue with state authorities the Belgrade Pride parade 2011 was banned. The ban, however, may bring some positive effects. Listen to an interview with two of the organisers: Boban Stojanovic, from the organisation Queeria and Goran Miletic, Programme Director for the Western Balkans at Civil Rights Defenders.
Personal characteristics such as national or ethnic origin, religious or political beliefs, medical condition, sexual orientation, sex and age are bases for daily discrimination in Serbia. Together with Centre for Advanced Legal Studies we address these issues in a systematic way.
On September 30 the Serbian authorities decided to cancel the Belgrade Pride parade, due to threats from extremist right-wing groups. “There was no political will to support Pride”, said Goran Miletic, Civil Rights Defenders.
The National Security Council of the Serbian Parliament (Savet za nacionalnu bezbednost) has banned all public manifestations during the weekend, including Pride, on the grounds of national security. The Pride organisers have gathered to discuss what should be the next step.
The Serbian media sector is characterized by political and economic influence on media and controversial regulatory practices. Together with our long-term partner ANEM, we strive to respond to existing challenges facing the media sector and to contribute to its development.
We urge the Serbian president to fully support the Belgrade Pride on October 2. A vulnerable group such as the LGBT population in Serbia cannot exercise their freedom of assembly without public support and recognition, Civil Rights Defenders said in a letter to the serbian President Tadic, the Prime Minister Cvetkovic and the Mayor of Belgrade, Djilas.
Serbian authorities are urged to react against the assault on the Islamic Center in Novi Sad, and to find those responsible and prosecute them.
Together with Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) in Serbia Civil Rights Defenders provide work to raise public awareness on the importance of confronting the past, by compiling and disseminating a comprehensive record of human losses in Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro in the wars of the 1990s. The “Interactive Online Map of Human Losses” provides user-friendly information and access to relevant documents on human losses in Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia.
Civil Rights Defenders and several other human rights organizations condemn the prosecution of Belgzim Kamberi, Chairman of the Human Rights Board in Bujanovac in Serbia, and urge the prosecutor to shut down the case.
The radio show Pescanik (the Hourglass) is one of very few independent voices in the public domain in Serbia. Civil Rights Defenders collaboration with Pescanik aims to increase the public’s access to diverse and balanced information and to offer a platform for news and analysis that differs from the mainstream.
Within Civil Rights Defenders cooperation with Local Press Association we work to raise the level of professionalism among journalists and media in Serbia. The local media has experienced much pressure during a challenging period, with a media landscape that is characterized by unfinished legal reforms, chaotic market conditions and weak professional ethics.
In collaboration with the organisation LABRIS, Civil Rights Defenders address discrimination of LGBT people in institutional settings through education. In a long term perspective, hoping to contribute to a better environment for the LGBT community.
Together with Veliki Mali, Civil Rights Defenders empower parents to take an active role in defending their children’s rights, and to improve the legislative framework for the protection of rights of children with disabilities.
In order to improve professional standards in the media and promote ethically responsible journalism, Civil Rights Defenders assist in building a Code of Conduct for journalists and media outlets.
On May 27-29 we co-organise a conference on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons in the Western Balkans. We hope to achieve a better understanding of the relation between human rights protection and equal rights of all people, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity.
In 2009 Civil Rights Defenders and Regional Centre for Minorities arranged the first LGBT conference “Justice in Balkans: Equality for sexual minorities” in Podgorica, Montenegro. It provoked a fierce discussion and for the first time brought the LGBT matter into the public debate.
Civil Rights Defender’s collaboration with Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia aims to improve the extent to which human rights are respected and known about in Serbia. The short term objectives are to strengthen the mechanisms for protecting human rights and to inform the public about the implementation of transitional laws.
Almost twice as many people are crammed in Serbian prisons as the buildings are designed for, Civil Rights Defenders and the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia write in a new report. This leads to problems for both inmates and staff.
Our photo exhibition “Our Rights” is touring the Western Balkans. The exhibition is made in collaboration with the photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin and the aim is to increase the awareness of the importance of Human Rights. With this exhibition we want to show what might be the consequences of human rights violations but also how [...]
The trial against the Roma minor in the village Jabuka in Serbia has started, We were again denied access to the court. We request that the boy is held in detention with other minors, and not with adults
Together with our partners we urge the Serbian authorities to make sure that the trial against the Roma boy B.J. be concluded as soon as possible, as the legal maximum of detention of minors has already been exceeded. We also insist to be allowed presence at the hearing.
Civil Rights Defenders is deeply concerned about the recent attacks on Branko Zivkovic, human rights defender and journalist in Serbia. We urge the responsible authorities in Serbia to use all mechanisms available to adequately protect human rights defenders.
Four Roma families were left without a roof over their heads at temperatures below zero when their barracks were demolished.Together with our partners in the coalition against discrimination we condemn in the strongest terms the authorities´ treatment of these people.
Between 2001 and 2007 Zivota Milanovic from Jagodina, Seriba, member of Hindu Vaishnava religious community, was attacked five times because of his religious beliefs. We have been working actively on the case together with our partner.
Civil Rights Defenders and its partners Lawyers Committee for Human Rights and Regional Center for Minorities were yesterday denied access to a court session in Pancevo, when demanding to monitor a case of principal importance. The case involves a Roma juvenile boy who is accused of having killed his Serbian friend.
The purpose of Civil Rights Defenders cooperation with BETA News Agency is to offer minority media outlets objective, timely and quality information from Serbia and the region in their own languages. The project provides high-quality news programs in 3 minority languages (Albanian, Roma and Hungarian) and represents minority media in itself.
This project has two major goals: to provide legal protection to independent media, thereby diminishing the power of groups which try to misuse the media to achieve their political ends or advance other interests; and to promote ethical and professional standards in journalism.
Efforts are made for the Belgrade Pride Parade to be carried out as planned, whereas it was banned last year.
On Sunday, the 10th of October, there will be a Pride Parade in Belgrade, Serbia. All through out this week there are ongoing activities in Belgrade, like movie screenings, seminars and exhibitions. To read more about Belgrade Pride and to check out the schedule. Civil Rights Defenders is arranging “Day Before Pride” together with the [...]
A Pride parade was held today, for the first time ever in Serbia. Great efforts where required from the police in order to guarantee security for the participants. The Serbian authorities have sent a clear signal that the rights of LGBT persons are taken seriously.
On Sunday October 10th a new attempt will be made to carry out a Pride parade in Belgrade. Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders, will be in the Serbian capital to participate in the parade.
Our partner the Network of Committees for Human Rights in Serbia (CHRIS) was founded in 2000 in order to provide free legal aid to citizens whose human rights had been violated.
On October the 10th there will be a new attempt to organize a Pride Parade in Belgrade, Serbia.
Civil Rights Defenders cooperation with Veliki Mali aims at making education more accessible to children with disabilities, by enhancing parents’ participation in the decision-making processes concerning their children and the quality of education that they receive.
Through Civil Rights Defenders cooperation with ANEM, Association of Independent Electronic Media, we aim to assist the organisation and its stations to increase their capacities and influence. Our work also contributes to helping the entire media sector to improve media regulations.
Our partner Youth Initiative for Human Rights received a threatening letter, calling them pro-fascist and saying that everyone who took part in a march marking the 15th anniversary of murdered youth in Tuzla, should move to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Serbian authorities are still not doing enough toward ensuring implementation of recently enacted laws and enabling unobstructed operation of independent institutions, according to findings in a report by Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Civil Rights Defenders.
Civil Rights Defenders continue the cooperation with the radio show Pescanik (hourglass) in order to help stimulate the public debate on vital issues in the Serbian society. The show attracts 400.000 listeners every week and covers issues such as; transitional justice, corruption, and many more topics related to civil and political rights.
Together with CHRIS Civil Rights Defenders provide free legal assistance to citizens, as well as free legal aid before the courts to victims of serious human rights violations. Every year we agree on a number of strategic cases for litigation before the courts.
Together with Regional Centre for Minorities, RCM, Civil Rights Defenders are strengthening the capacities of minority and human rights NGOs, local authorities, the judiciary and members of central and regional authorities that are dealing with different minority groups.
Nine people from our partner organisation, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, were arrested by the police while protesting against the content of the Srebrenica Declaration. They were detained for several hours without getting information of what they were suspected of.
Civil Rights Defenders cooperation with the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia aims to bring to the public eye violations of human and minority rights. The Annual Report on human rights in Serbia presents the most pressing needs, constraints and priorities regarding the human rights situation in Serbia.
2009 was an important year for the LGBT movement in Serbia. For the first time cooperation between LGBT organisations and other human rights organisations was established to integrate LGBT issues in all human rights work, Civil Rights Defenders partner, Gay Straight Alliance, says in its Annual Report.
Together with Labris, Civil Rights Defenders struggle to decrease the level of homophobia and ignorance about the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. Our main activities are lobbying, advocacy, education and networking, but we are also providing legal counseling for LGBT people.
Together with Humanitarian Law Centre, HLC, Civil Rights Defenders identify victims of human rights violations and secure relevant evidence. We are also providing legal support and representing the victims of war crimes and serious human rights violations in civil proceedings for reparation.
In cooperation with Centre for Advanced Legal Studies, Civil Rights Defenders established the Coalition Against Discrimination to lobby for an inclusive Law against discrimination. In 2009 it was finally adopted by the Serbian government. We now continue lobbying for other laws in the human rights field.
In cooperation with Young Lawyers of Serbia, Civil Rights Defenders are organising the fourth regional Moot Court competition for law students from the Western Balkans, with the aim to increase practical knowledge on cases, rules and procedures of the European Court on Human Rights, both among students at Law faculties and among existing legal professionals.
Internationally-supported transitional justice projects have come to play a central role in broader efforts to build peace, democracy and the rule of law in troubled states, based on the belief that impunity for war crimes tends to lead to new cycles of violence. But the record shows that their most prominent mechanisms – truth commissions [...]
A truth commission in the Western Balkans would contribute to the democratisation process and to strengthening of the rule of law. This was the expressed opinion of the participants at a recently arranged conference in Brussels by, among others, the Humanitarian Law Centre, our cooperation partner.
Civil Rights Defenders strongly condemns the attacks on authors of the TV show ‘Insider’ and requests immediate action in bringing those responsible to justice.
The civil society in the Western Balkans has initiated a process to establish a Regional Commission for Truth-seeking and Truth-telling About War Crimes. A very large number of NGOs in all the countries involved support and promote the initiative. The focus ahead will be to get the duty holders committed to the process. Will that [...]
Today a “Citizens Response to Violence” is organized in Belgrade by several NGOs, including Civil Rights Defenders. The manifestation is a response to the severe violent attacks by extremist groups which have taken place in Belgrade the last two weeks. It is also a support action for the organizers of the planned Belgrade Pride which [...]
The Pride Parade that would have been held in Belgrade, September 20, was stopped in the last minute. The Interior Ministry and the police suddenly announced that if the parade would be held in central Belgrade the participants’ safety could not be guaranteed. This means in fact that the parade was banned, and shows that [...]
In the last minute the Ministry of Interior in Serbia stopped the Belgrade Pride planned for Sunday Sep 20. On Saturday morning the police suddenly stated that it would not be abel to guarantee security for the participants in the parade if the parade as planned was to be held in the center of Belgrade. [...]
On Sunday, September 20th, a Pride parade will be arranged in Belgrad. During the last attempt in 2001, peaceful demonstrators were attacked and beaten by nationalist groups and football hooligans. The police stood on the sidelines and watched. This time the Ministry of Interior and the police have promised to guarantee security for the participants, [...]
The Serbian ministry of Interior has promised to protect the participants of the Pride parade, which takes place on September 20th in Belgrade. We will be there to see how much force the authorities put behind their promises. In a letter to Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and to Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic, Civil Rights [...]
One of Swedish Helsinki Committee’s partners in Serbia, the Gay Straight Alliance, report a rise in LGBT-related violence in recent weeks.
Biljana Srbljanovic, renowned Serbian writer and human rights defender, has been accused of disorderly conduct for her participation at the promotion of Pescanik radio show in Pancevo, Serbia. However, the members of the right-wing and nationalistic organizations who tried to disrupt the meeting were free to go. On March 1st, 2009, Biljana Srbljanovic attended the [...]
After the forced eviction of 47 Roma families in one part of Belgrade, Serbia, the Swedish Helsinki Committee along with 42 NGOs demand urgent action from the authorities to solve the desperate situation of these 128 individuals in total. The authorities are urged to find appropriate alternative accommodation and to restrain from statements denying basic [...]
An all inclusive law against discrimination was finally adopted by the Serbian Parliament on Thursday March 26. It is a great result for the Swedish Helsinki Committee and for all the local NGOs that have been pushing for the adoption of this law for years. The whole process of adopting the law is a symbolic [...]
The Swedish Helsinki Committee is strongly critical to the decision of the Serbian government to withdraw the proposal for a law against discrimination. In this way they are giving in to pressure from among others the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is completely unacceptable that the religious communities are allowed to affect the legislation process in [...]
Two days before the planned press conference, the Director of Sava Centar notified the organisers that the report about the situation for LGBT persons in Serbia could not be presented in the Centre. “That kind of organisations are not welcome”, he announced. Gay-Straight Alliance, partner of the Swedish Helsinki Committee, has conducted a wide survey [...]
A group of NGOs, including four of the Swedish Helsinki Committee’s long-standing partners in Serbia, are starting a campaign for a day of remembrance for the genocide in Srebrenica. In an open letter to Serbian President Boris Tadic the organisations urge the president to support the demand for an official day of remembrance. The requirement [...]
On November 7th the popular film festival “Free zone” opens in Belgrade for the fourth year running. Civil Rights Defenders (by then, The Swedish Helsinki Committee) together with REX, has helped promote the festival and over the years it has become a significant part of Serbian culture.
Natasha Jevtic Esbjörnson
Phone: +46 76 576 27 62
His burnt body was returned to the family in a plastic bag. The European Court has found Russia responsible for human rights violations in the North Caucasus, in more than one hundred cases, as a result of our work.
(Photo: Joanna Kurosz)
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