The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights supports the holding of the Belgrade Pride 2013 event and calls on all state authorities to enforce the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Serbia conscientiously and ensure that its participants are not deprived of their fundamental human rights, as they have unfortunately been in the past. Persons whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual, i.e. homosexual, bisexual and transgender people, are often victims of various forms of discrimination, including violent ones, in Serbia as well. This event is a legitimate attempt by these people and others who understand the problems they face on a daily basis to highlight these problems. Their endeavours are based on the principles of equality, tolerance, pluralism and the rule of law which any decent state governed by law should abide by. (more…)

Belgrade Pride Parade and the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights welcome the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Serbia dated 18th April 2013 that, through banning Pride Parade 2011, the Republic of Serbia violated the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of assembly, effective legal remedy, and legal protection.This ruling relates to the constitutional complaint that was lodged by the organisers of Belgrade Pride, who were represented in court by experts from the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. In its ruling, besidesconcluding that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had violated the Constitution through banning Pride Parade, the Constitutional Court of Serbiafollowed the lead of the European Court of Human Rights in cases where Pride has been banned in other countries. The Court also awarded the petitioner, the ‘Pride Parade Belgrade’ association, €500 for immaterial damages. (more…)

On the 7th of March, 2013 the European Council on Refugees and Exiles Board approved BCHR’s application for ECRE Alliance Membership. Thereafter the Centre has become part of vibrant and dynamic network of refugee assisting organisations working throughout Europe. To date, the network comprises 70 Member organisations in 30 countries promoting protection and integration of refugees who seek protection in Europe in the environment of human rights, human dignity and an ethic of solidarity. (more…)

21 March 2013 is another opportunity to raise our voices against distinctions based on personal features and recall the reason for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It was in 1966 that the United Nations General Assembly decided to commemorate on this date the brutal killing of 69 peaceful demonstrators in the South African Republic. We are marking this Day by reviewing our strength and the efforts we as a country, as a government authority, as an organisation and as individuals are investing to make sure that such or similar events never happen in the future again. (more…)

Today is 18 December, the day declared International Migrants Day by the UN General Assembly. On 18 December 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the only UN human rights convention Serbia has not ratified. The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights would like to alert on this day that over 360 asylum seekers are awaiting decisions on their asylum applications in Asylum Centres in Serbia, while another 110 people are spending their days and nights in open air, without any shelter or protection, waiting for accommodation in the Centres. (more…)

Branko Milinković was one of the founders of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and our true and loyal friend. He was one of the most popular lecturers at our Human Rights Schools, eloquent and always willing to answer difficult questions, to share his knowledge and experience with others. Although he spent the last decade as a career diplomat, he continued participating in public and academic life. He authored several books and numerous articles, took part in numerous research projects and lectured at many conferences, educational programmes, courses and seminars. (more…)