We condemn the attacks on Roma national minorities in the village of Jabuka near Pančevo and emphasise that it is only the state acting in a legal proceeding that is authorized to judge perpetrators of criminal acts. These events require swift and decisive action on the part of the police to send a clear message that revenge and retribution are unacceptable, and that besides consituting criminal acts under law, they also violate fundamental human rights. The residents’ own initiative to punish an entire community because of a reported crime committed by one of the latter’s members is impermissible in a democratic society. A particular danger exists in that this event is not an isolated incident but represents an indicative example of racial, national and religious intolerance that has been escalating over the last few years in various circumstances. (more…)

We express our concern about the threats made to the members of the non-governmental organisation Youth Initiative for Human Rights for organising an event whose goal was to recall the war crimes committed in Tuzla. This incident is just one in a string of attacks on members of NGOs, particularly those working to promote and protect human rights. Although the Youth Initiative has reported the threats to the authorities, past experience shows that such cases usually go uninvestigated and unpunished. (more…)

Like many others, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights is appalled by the  Belgrade First Basic Court decision to dismiss the charges against a group of hooligans accused of issuing death threats against journalist Brankica Stanković. The decision, reached without the questioning of the indictees, is not merely another hapless court decision. It is also indication of deeper and more dangerous undercurrents. (more…)

The Coalition against Discrimination appeals to all political parties that voted for the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination to support Goran Miletić in the re-run procedure for selection of Equality Protection Commissioner, since he meets all legal requirements and unequivocal support of minority and human rights organizations. At the same time, we deem it unacceptable to demand compliance with requirements that do not exist in the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination. (more…)

Protocol 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms that provides for the reform of the European Court of Human Rights entered into force on 1 June 2010. The reform of the Court includes the introduction of a single judge to assess the admissibility of applications, new criteria for decision-making on the admissibility of applications – “significant disadvantage”, as well as the possibility of the EU acceding to the Convention. The innovations are aimed at securing greater efficiency and faster processing of the more than 100,000 applications currently before the Court. We emphasise the reforms in light of the importance of the long-term sustainability of the most significant European mechanism for the protection of human rights. You can find out more about the new measures instigated by the reforms of the Court here.

The Law Amending the Law on Free Access to Public Information and the Law on the Confidentiality of Data. The Coalition for Free Access to Information acknowledges the readiness of the government to, after several years of pressure from independent institutions and civil society, adopt a concrete law on the confidentiality of data and which meets the majority of our legislative demands. On the same day, however the National Assembly was not prepared to bring in full changes in the area of free access to information. (more…)