Donor: Constitutional and Legal Policy Institute and Open Society Fund
Duration of the project: October 1997 – October 1998

Freedom of expression and information has been the object of a heated public debate in Serbia for many years. Although freedom of the press was formally guaranteed by the Serbian and Yugoslav constitutions and laws, a de facto state monopoly on electronic and printed media has been persistently maintained by the ruling political party in Serbia. The state owned Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) was the only broadcasting network which covered the whole territory of Serbia. It has been notorious for its biased reporting and propaganda in favor of the government. It also had a significant role in forging the war on the territory of former Yugoslavia through its war mongering reporting. (more…)

Donor: Institute of Federalism Fribourg (Switzerland)
Duration of the project: January – December 1997

Since its establishment in 1995 the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights has endeavoured to contribute to better respect of human rights in Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. One of the experiences gained by its members and collaborators is that the human rights situation in one country cannot be studied as a special and limited field, isolated from the general situation in the country. Human rights are not implemented and enjoyed in a social vacuum.  Norms prescribing, guaranteeing and protecting human and civil rights must be a part of a social, economic and political system creating favourable – or at least minimal – preconditions for success. (more…)