Donor: Freedom House
Duration of project: January – October 2002
The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights organised four Human Rights Schools for Police in the period from February to September 2002. The main purpose of these courses was to introduce participants to human rights law, criminal procedure standards, and other relevant issues for modern police services. The project responded to the need to educate police on human rights, civil society and democracy given the experience of the previous ten years in a repressive authoritarian system, expressions of police brutality, and the neglect of these themes by the educational system. It was especially important given the critical role of police in the processes of transition and democratic change.About one hundred (generally high-ranking) police officers from various parts of Serbia participated in the project. Lecturers were chosen from among the most eminent human rights professionals in Yugoslavia. The School was held in Belgrade over the following dates: 22 – 26 February, 24 – 28 April, 29 May – 2 June, 29 August – 2 September.
