01 Aug Three freedoms under the magnifying glass: March – July 2019
Review of violations of freedom of association, assembly and expression in Serbia from March to July 2019
Association. Assembly. Expression.
These three freedoms must be guaranteed to all. These three freedoms form the basis of civil society. No country can call itself democratic without guaranteeing these rights.
These freedoms are guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Serbia. Practice, however, shows the opposite. We are witnessing more and more frequent attacks on associations, activists and the free media. The space in which they operate is increasingly narrowed as the number of attacks, threats, intimidation and insults increases.
We believe that regularly collecting and publishing cases of violation of these rights can help to raise the visibility of this trend that is growing rapidly and draw attention to the seriousness of the problems we face.
Here is an overview of key violations of freedom of assembly, association and expression in Serbia since March this year, when Serbia was placed on the CIVICUS Monitor Watch List as a country where these freedoms are seriously threatened.
We will continue to publish these overviews in the future, which show instances of violations of the freedoms of association, assembly and expression.
In addition, representatives of 20 civil society organisations signed in Belgrade the Three Freedoms Platform for the Protection of Civic Space in the Republic of Serbia, in order to protect and promote the freedom of association, assembly and information.The Platform is intended to act as a joint block of civil society organizations (associations, professional organizations, foundations, endowments, and other forms of associations including informal groups of citizens) to stand for the protection of endangered freedoms and create conditions for unhindered participation of citizens in public affairs through civil society development.
We are aware that the fight to preserve these rights is a long and difficult one. We are aware that these overviews will not force those who violate the rights to cease or cause an adequate response from the international community. These representations are a support to civil society, and for media, decision-makers and citizens they present a reliable and up-to-date account of the reality of civic space in Serbia. Regular monitoring allows for stronger and more coordinated action by all actors to protect these three freedoms and impede the work of those who wish to suppress them.
Download the overview of violations of freedom of association, assembly and expression from the attcahment.
Three freedoms under the magnifying glass: MArch- July 2019
* Civic Initiatives as a partner of CIVICUS Monitor for Serbia send bi-weekly reports in English since August 2018. Learn more about the CIVICUS Monitor here.
** Sources in English were provided where possible, the rest are in Serbian.