Press conference – Draft law on internal affairs: what kind of police do the citizens of Serbia need?

A joint press conference of CSOs regarding Controversial Draft Law on Internal Affairs was held on 20 December at the Press Center of the Journalists’ Association of Serbia

The drafts of the aforementioned laws contain numerous provisions that have negative consequences for citizens’ privacy, inviolability of the home, protection of journalistic sources, freedom of association, prohibition of discrimination, but also protection of other rights and freedoms of citizens from excessive powers of police officers.

Civil society organizations are organizing this press conference to present a more detailed analysis of the published drafts and to encourage further discussion about possible changes to the law.

Speakers at the press conference were:

Bojan Elek, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy

Vladica Ilić, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights

Rade Đurić, Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

Filip Milošević, Share Foundation

Moderator: Nina Nicović

At the conference, the undersigned organizations draw attention to the shortcomings of the proposed solutions and point out the need for changes in order to ensure democratic control of police work and better protect the rights and freedoms of Serbian citizens. Since the aforementioned goals cannot be fully achieved by participating in a small number of round tables scheduled during the public debate, the undersigned organizations wish to acquaint the general public and the representatives of citizens in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia with the disputed provisions of the published drafts, which primarily refer to biometric processing of personal data through mass biometric surveillance, expanding the powers of the police and the possibility of political influence on the work of the police.

This is the second attempt to amend the law on internal affairs, and that the previous draft was withdrawn precisely because of numerous shortcomings pointed out by civil society organizations and the international public.

Civil society organizations:

SHARE Foundation

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

Partners Serbia

Belgrade Centre for Security Policy

Belgrade Centre for Human Rights

CEPRIS – Center for Judicial Research

YUCOM – Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights

Slavko Curuvija Foundation