DIASPORA APPEALS TO INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: “Protect the people in Serbia before, during and after the elections!”

Forty-four informal groups of Serbian citizens living in the diaspora have addressed international institutions and officials, urging them to urgently use available diplomatic and legal mechanisms to protect citizens in Serbia before, during and after the parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday, October 25.

In a letter addressed to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the Venice Commission and members of the U.S. Congress, the signatories stress that their primary concern is the physical safety of people in Serbia.

They are calling for the protection of voters, polling station committee members, journalists, domestic and international election observers, and participants in peaceful protests.

“We call on you to use your diplomatic channels and legal instruments, within the framework of international law and with full respect for Serbia’s sovereignty, to help protect the integrity of the electoral process,” the letter states.

The signatories insist that international attention must also remain focused on the period after polling stations close.

As grounds for concern, they cite ODIHR’s interim report of October 9, the conclusions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s pre-election delegation from October 14, and a statement issued by the EU Delegation to Serbia on October 13. These documents warn of pronounced polarization, unequal campaign conditions, pressure on voters, problems with the voter register, and reported incidents of violence.

The signatories also point to obstacles to voting from abroad. According to figures cited in the letter, more than 102,000 citizens in the diaspora registered to vote, but the number of polling stations is insufficient and their distribution is uneven. In addition, applying Serbia’s voting hours based on its time zone means that voting takes place during the night in some countries.

They are asking the international institutions and countries they have addressed to demand impartial and proportionate police conduct, protection for all participants in the electoral process, and swift, transparent and credible action by the relevant institutions in response to every incident of violence. The appeal is signed by 44 groups from Europe, Canada, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

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