Donor: International Aid Network (IAN)
Duration of project: January – July 2005
Goal of this project was to strengthen and empower forcibly mobilised refugees through continual provision of psychological, medical and legal rehabilitation, in-court representation in their claims for compensation of damages, as well as produce recommendations on good practices in dealing with these issues, increase the awareness about the problem of torture and effect positive legislative change in terms of torture incrimination.This project was mainly implemented by IAN and originally started in 2004. Belgrade Centre for Human Rights took part in 2005. by organising seminars and conferences and proposing legislative initiatives. One of the actions of Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and International Aid Network (IAN) was to suggestion to include criminal act of torture in Serbian Criminal Code that was not codified by Serbian law at that time. Criminal Code at that time incriminated torture and is compliant with international standards, which is a direct result of the joint action of the IAN and BCHR. The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and the International Aid Network (IAN) have organised and conducted six round tables on the following topic “Forced Mobilisation of Refugees – Legal and Psychological Consequences”. The round tables were held in the April – June 2005 period in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Leskovac, Zrenjanin, Kragujevac.
Local TV and radio stations were present at round tables and at most of them they recorded the discussion as well as took statements from speakers. Press reports from Belgrade round table appeared in daily newspapers Politika and Danas.
The very idea of implementing this project arose from the intention to alert the public to the problem of forced mobilisation and its legal sanctioning, increase interest in the topic and hear as many as possible specific suggestions about how to resolve the problem.
The initiative to amend the legal position submitted to the Supreme Court of Serbia by IAN, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and the Humanitarian Law Center, was also presented at the round tables. The participants considered the initiative useful and potential mode that may partly resolve the problem. The judges in lower (local) courts said they were fully willing to abide by the decision of the highest court in Serbia and conduct proceedings within the statute of limitations defined by the Supreme Court of Serbia Civil Department.
On the 25 June the IAN and BCHR marked International Anti-Torture Day by organising the press conference on the necessities of incrimination of torture in Serbian legal system and ratification of Optional protocol to the CAT. IAN’s book on torture “Torture in war: Consequences and rehabilitation of victims” was presented as well.
