We mark 10 December, International Human Rights Day, at a time when Serbia has been experiencing a deep institutional, social, and political crisis for more than a year, following the collapse of a canopy in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which claimed 16 lives. This tragedy triggered the longest and most massive student and civic protests in Serbia’s recent history, which are still ongoing. Citizens across the country are demanding political and institutional accountability, the fight against corruption, respect for the Constitution and the law, and the restoration of the rule of law.
We are witnessing politically motivated proceedings against students, activists, and individuals, police brutality, mass arrests, and strong pressure on the education system. Freedom of assembly and expression is restricted, the media space is almost entirely controlled, while social networks — the last remaining space for free expression and communication among individuals, groups, and media — are increasingly targeted by organized digital attacks and pressure. All major international organizations — the United Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE — have noted in their reports the continuous regression of Serbia in the areas of democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights, and media freedom. Numerous UN bodies, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Rapporteurs, have reacted to widespread human rights violations and called on Serbia to urgently take the necessary steps to halt such practices and ensure that the judiciary establishes accountability for all perpetrators.
In such circumstances, marking Human Rights Day in 2025 carries special significance. It is a moment to express solidarity, to support students and citizens who persistently and courageously defend the principles of the rule of law, accountability, justice, and human dignity, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to building a fairer and more democratic society. Today, a mobilized civil society bears the burden of the struggle for a more just Serbia, guided by the conviction that perpetrators must be held accountable and institutions must once again function independently, lawfully, and in the public interest.
On Wednesday, 10 December, the member organizations of the Belgrade Human Rights House will mark International Human Rights Day with a conference dedicated to key human rights developments in Serbia during the past year, with a special focus on freedom of assembly, association, expression, and digital surveillance. The event will also feature the annual Human Rights House Awards ceremony, traditionally presented to organizations, groups, and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the year.
On this 10 December, we gather to jointly highlight the importance of human rights, freedoms, and democracy, and to send a clear message that Serbia can and must be a country where citizens are protected, the law applies equally to all, and human dignity is inviolable.
The Human Rights House Belgrade: the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Civic Initiatives, the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, and the Centre for Practical Politics.
