Statement with regard to actions against JAT employees on strike

The Belgrade Centre of Human Rights is of the opinion that the manner in which the Serbian Government and the management of JAT, which is state-owned, are dealing with the employees on strike can seriously undermine the state’s reputation. The right to strike is a human right enshrined in the Serbian Constitution. It is guaranteed by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 8 (1d)) which is binding on SaM and protected by the obligatory ILO Conventions 87, 98, 151 and 154. (more…)

Today is the second anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Zoran Đinđić, the Prime Minister of Serbia. Zoran Đinđić was undoubtedly the leader of the new Serbia. Life without fear for one’s life, security or job became possible in this country only after the democratic changes in October 2000, which he had crucially contributed to. He helped bring us the freedom we had fought for over a decade. He took every critical remark we made with benevolence; he was always willing to think about them and he would usually reply by including us in his famous metaphors. (more…)

The Belgrade Centre for Human Rights is concerned by the continual undermining of judicial independence in Serbia. The executive branch has unfortunately been party to this trend. Serbia’s Justice Minister, the state official charged with ensuring and protecting judicial independence, is of the opinion that he has the right to politically control the work of judicial bodies and does not even try to hide his passionate revanchism. (more…)