Protecting victims and combating impunity of state officials in torture proceedings and strengthening the safeguards against refoulement

This project aims to provide predominantly legal but also other (social, medical and psychological) assistance to victims of torture and members of their families. Apart from direct assistance, the activities are directed towards seeking redress for victims, combating and reducing impunity and inefficiency of state authorities in charge of criminally prosecuting state agents accused of torture, and eliminating torture.

Additionally, we plan to improve practices that are severely undermining the principle of non-refoulment in asylum procedures, extradition procedures and informal procedures at the Belgrade airport Nikola Tesla.

The project encompasses:

1. Litigation of cases of torture before the national organs;

2. Bringing the cases before international bodies (European Court of Human Rights and monitoring mechanisms – CAT, CPT, etc.);

3. Prevention of expulsion or securing international protection for refugees against refoulment;

4. Regarding the impunity of state officials, for all identified cases criminal complaints will be filled;

5. Engagement of medical doctors – forensic specialists and pathologists – to examine, document and report on the injuries, according to the Istanbul protocol for the purposes of litigation;

6. Research, monitoring and reporting on the state of the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill-treatment in Serbia, as well as on the impunity of state officials for acts of ill-treatment;

7. Follow-up advocacy and litigation on the implementation of successful decisions from previous cases, including prosecution of perpetrators and compensation for victims.