On the 21st of December 1999, the Serbian National Assembly’s Justice Committee held a meeting where it recommended the government dismiss Slobodan Vučetić, District Court Justice of Serbia, Dr Zoran Ivošević, Supreme Court Justice of Serbia and Boža Prelević, a judge of the Fifth Municipal Court. Today, on the 22nd of December, the Assembly has dismissed these judges, with the explanation that they are unfit to carry out their judicial roles due to their political activities – Justice Vučetić as a member of “G-17 plus” and of the Executive Committee of the Judges’ Association of Serbia; Justice Dr Ivoševića as a member of the Executive Committee of the Judges’ Association of Serbia; and Justice Prelević as the spokesperson of the same Association. The judges learned of their dismissals from newspaper reports. (more…)

Unfortunately we find no reason to celebrate – this is a time contemplate, and to ensure that rights and freedoms are not forgotten in our society. This 10th of December the Belgrade Center for Human Rights would like to remind people of the recently enacted UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and some of its articles: (more…)

The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and the NGO Forum of Kraljevo report that today at 8 a.m. 350 Kosovo refugees (IDPs), about 80 families, were expelled from the elementary school “Vuk Karadzic” in the village of Beranovac, near Kraljevo. Those people were located from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m in the town park in front of the Kraljevo railway station. The Civil Defense Headquarters of the Republic of Serbia offered them accommodation in the Culture Centre of the Vitanovac village. (more…)

26 March 1999 – The massive air strikes on Yugoslavia are not only hitting military facilities. They also take away human lives and destroy the economic infrastructure of our impoverished nation. However, in the long run, the biggest “collateral damage” will be the diminished prospects for democracy in Serbia. We fear that the only long-lasting result of this undeclared war will be a constant state of emergency, both legal and psychological, this time with the support of the confused majority, which always gathers around the government in moments of extreme misery and danger. (more…)

Massive air strikes against Yugoslavia do not only destroy army installations. They also take human lives and ruin the economic infrastructure of our impoverished country. In the long run, however, the biggest collateral damage will be the shattered possibilities for democracy in Serbia. We fear that the only durable result of the undeclared war will be a permanent state of emergency, legal and spiritual, this time with the support of the bewildered majority, which has always sided with the government in times of extreme adversity and danger. (more…)