With its decision to prohibit the Pride Parade, the state has jeopardised fundamental human rights and demonstrated that it does not have the strength to ensure abidance by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and guarantee safety to all its citizens. In the view of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, the prohibition, the unlawfulness of which will quite probably be confirmed by both domestic and international courts, is unquestionably a major step backwards and may mark the point after which the state authorities will have become even more insensitive to various forms of discrimination and human rights violations. Like in the previous years, the numerous statements made this year by the state officials demonstrated the lack of resolve and commitment to civic values. Their frequent equal apportionment of blame for last year’s riots to the hooligans and the Pride Parade organisers is not only disgraceful and untrue; it also demonstrates lack of strength to put an end to hate and violence.If preventing violence, destruction of buildings and human casualties is the reason for putting off the Parade, the BCHR is of the view that prevention of violence and human casualties would definitely be facilitated also by postponing the Serbian soccer championship until such a time when the society is ready for a peaceful soccer championship and the security situation in Serbia is improved.
On the other hand, the responsibility and obligation to advance the rights of the LGBT population rest on civil society organisations and the citizens of Serbia, given the utter absence of both state initiative and support. The Pride Parade organisers should definitely file an application against the Republic of Serbia with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and a constitutional appeal with the Constitutional Court of Serbia against this decision. But, in BCHR’s opinion, they should not stop there in view of the course and length of these proceedings. Non-government organisations, notably LGBT organisations, should insist on getting an explanation of this prohibition from the state and actively cooperate with civil society to ensure that the rights of the LGBT are included in the annual, not just the October public agenda. Since the ministers have been telling us that security is the only reason why the Parade was prohibited, surely they will do their utmost to organise e.g. panel discussions on tolerance and understanding of the LGBT community in each and every secondary school in Serbia.
