Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty stated after his visit to Serbia that its authorities and the ombudsman need to “quickly” complete the investigation into allegations of the use of sound weapons at peaceful demonstrations in Belgrade “in order to identify the perpetrator of the incident and ensure (their) accountability.”
Following a visit that lasted from April 25 to 27, O’Flaherty called on the authorities to ensure the safety of demonstrators, to improve the working environment for civil society organizations and human rights defenders, and to “avoid stigmatizing demonstrators through discourse that mischaracterizes demonstrations as a ‘colored revolution’.”
“This is important so that individuals do not turn against students, at the risk of repeated violence against them, such as hitting them with cars or beating them with baseball bats, which we have seen in previous months. The Commissioner calls on the authorities to effectively investigate all acts of violence committed during demonstrations and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” O’Flaherty wrote.
His mission in Serbia concerned the treatment of demonstrations and the working environment of civil society organizations and human rights defenders, in the context of ongoing student protests that began in November 2024 after the tragedy in Novi Sad that claimed the lives of 16 people.
In a statement, the Commissioner expressed his gratitude to the Serbian authorities for their cooperation and openness to discussion, and noted that “the large number of student demonstrations held daily across Serbia has burdened the law enforcement forces, whose current conduct appears restrained.”
However, O’Flaherty added, “it is of critical importance that the framework of democratic conduct is maintained to ensure the safety of all citizens, in accordance with Serbia’s obligations to respect international human rights standards.”
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The statement also notes that “in relation to the alleged use of a sound weapon, which is illegal in Serbia, during peaceful demonstrations on March 15, the Commissioner was informed that about sixty individuals provided the relevant prosecutor’s office with information about the consequences that exposure to this weapon had on their health.”
“The Commissioner calls on the authorities and the Ombudsman to quickly complete (their parallel) investigations (regarding the use of the sound weapon), in order to identify the perpetrator of the incident and ensure accountability,” the statement carried by Beta news agency reads.
Regarding the expulsion of foreign nationals “invoking national security, and for publicly expressing support for student demonstrations,” the Commissioner called on the authorities to ensure that in each individual case, through a bipartisan procedure, a real opportunity is provided to challenge claims that national security is threatened.”
O’Flaherty also expressed concern about the “unfavorable working environment for non-governmental organizations and human rights defenders, which has been further aggravated by recent actions by the authorities.”
Among these actions, he “included the alleged use of spyware against human rights defenders and journalists, a campaign to smear their reputation through the use of the term ‘foreign agent’ and the forwarding of personal data to the media, including information from files obtained in police search operations of the premises of several non-governmental organizations in connection with the investigation into the use of funds obtained through USAID.”
The Commissioner called on the authorities to refrain from such actions and urged the Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection to “fully implement their mandates regarding the protection of human rights and personal data at the national level.”
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Source: Danas.rs, Photo: EPA / KOEN VAN WEEL