A discussion on the key themes in the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights’ annual report, “Human Rights in Serbia 2024”, took place in the European House in Belgrade on Monday, 2 June.
The report findings were presented and discussed at this event, which brought together experts, representatives of civil society, international organisations, the diplomatic community and other partners. The participants in the two panel sessions examined the erosion of freedoms in Serbia and the many challenges to the protection of its citizens’ rights.
During the first panel, BCHR’s Programme Director and Report Editor Dušan Pokuševski emphasised that 2024 was marked by the collapse of the canopy at Novi Sad Railway Station on 1 November, which became the tipping point for Serbia’s citizens. In the days that followed, thousands of citizens gathered daily across the country, observing 15 minutes of silence to honour the victims and demanding truth, justice, and accountability from state officials.
During the first panel discussion, Report authors – Assistant at the Faculty of Political Science Goran Sandić and journalist Ivan Protić – reflected on the clampdown on the freedoms of assembly, association and expression of Serbia’s citizens protesting throughout 2024 against electoral fraud, lithium mining and environmental degradation, the dismantling of the education system and the demolition of Belgrade landmarks and symbols. In late November, the student protests sparked the largest student and civic uprising in Serbia’s recent history. Throughout the period, media freedom continued to decline, marked by breaches of the law by the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), a rise in attacks on journalists – especially physical attacks -and frequent targeting, insults and assaults on critical media and journalists by Serbian officials and their supporters.
In addition to journalists and media, activists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations were also frequent targets of attacks, pressures, smear campaigns and even deprivation of liberty. They were also subjected to illegal surveillance by state authorities, as documented in Amnesty International’s report Digital Prison.
Serbian state institutions continued to ignore citizens’ requests, to belittle and intimidate them. The Protector of Citizens and the Access to Information Commissioner turned a deaf ear to queries and complaints from citizens and civil society groups alerting to numerous breaches of fundamental freedoms and human rights. What the Ombudsman did do, however, in 2024 was to initiate with the Constitutional Court a review of the constitutionality of the Gender Equality Act – although he did not raise any objections to it when it was in the draft stage just three years earlier.
The second panel focused on the challenges faced by citizens left without institutional support or protection and forced to fend for themselves. Report author and FemPlatz Executive Director Kosana Beker commented the Constitutional Court’s decision to suspend the entire Gender Equality Act, stressing that the position of women in Serbian society has shown no improvement. She noted that 18 femicides and numerous protests over the killings of women occurred in Serbia in 2024, but that the state still has not established Femicide Watch, raising further concerns about Serbia’s strategic direction in tackling violence against women.
Snežana Lazarević of MDRI Serbia and BCHR’s Petar Vidosavljević highlighted the issues faced by persons with disabilities and LGBTI+ persons in Serbia. The country still lacks data on the number of people with disabilities, although they are one of the most vulnerable groups. Both children and adults with disabilities face numerous difficulties and barriers, while women with disabilities are at risk of multiple discrimination, remain invisible in public life, face obstacles in exercising their rights and are subjected to gender-based violence. Over 100 attacks on LGBTI+ persons were documented in 2024, marking an increase from the previous year. As many as two-thirds of hate-motivated attacks against LGBTI+ persons go unreported and the police often fail to record reports of incidents motivated by homophobia and transphobia. The Pride Info Centre in central Belgrade continued to be a target of attacks, while the case of police torture of two young LGBTI+ persons during a search of their flat provoked renewed public alarm.
Panellist Jovana Misailović, a researcher at the Centre for Dignified Work, pointed out that Serbia still has not adopted new labour law aligned with European standards. Most citizens had trouble making ends meet in 2024, struggling with rising living costs, declining purchasing power and high inflation, particularly the soaring prices of basic foodstuffs. Serbia continued to lack decent work opportunities, while the risk of poverty remained high. Although the minimum wage rose in 2024, it still fell short of covering the cost of the consumer basket. These trends hit the most vulnerable groups hardest – particularly the Roma, women, the elderly, young people and persons with disabilities.
The participants in the two panels, which lasted over two and a half hours, reflected on some of the cases illustrating the state of human rights in Serbia. A comprehensive overview of the human rights situation in Serbia in 2024 is available in BCHR’s extensive report, available HERE.
The “Human Rights in Serbia 2024” report is the BCHR’s 27th annual report on the state of human rights in Serbia. Ever since it was established, the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights has been dedicated to monitoring the human rights situation in Serbia, analysing the legal framework and its implementation. It published its first annual report in 1998. The continued publication of these reports demonstrates the Centre’s perseverance and commitment to advancing and protecting human rights, and its contribution and desire to help build a democratic Serbia where the rights of all citizens are respected.
©photo: Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
The Human Rights in Serbia 2024 report was published with the European Union’s support within the “Hives of Activism” project. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and may in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The project “Hives of Activism” has its full title Civic Engagement Local Hives and is being implemented by the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights through partnership with the organizations FemPlatz and the National Association of Youth Workers (NAPOR), with the financial support of the European Union in Serbia. The project is being implemented from January 2024 to December 2026 and aims to improve the position of citizens in local areas through more effective access to human rights, with particular focus on women and youth, as well as through strenghtening the network of civil society organizations and citizens in order to directly influence the implementation of necessary local policies, with continuous advocacy for the improvement of citizens’ position in the Serbian society before domestic and international institutions.
