The BCHR marked 26 June, International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, by publishing the testimony of Roki Đorđević from Kula, who was tortured by the police in late January 2020.
Roki’s account is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RF5-ajWjjQ
The BCHR has for ten years now been collecting all prosecutorial and court files on reports of people who claim they were tortured or ill-treated by public officials. Our work and experience point to the unacceptable status of these victims in Serbia.
First of all, the relevant authorities have not done hardly anything to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment. Second, case law shows that courts and prosecutors trust statements by police and other public officials much more than claims by people alleging torture and their witnesses. Most criminal reports of torture and ill-treatment filed against public officials are dismissed. The few cases that make it to court as a rule do not end in convictions. During the state of emergency, the public unfortunately had the opportunity to see on social media footage of police slapping, punching and kicking citizens, thus grossly violating their human dignity.
