CoE’s O’Flaherty calls Serbian officials to stop stigmatizing protesters

O’Flaherty’s report comes after his mission to Serbia on April 25-27 which focused on policing of demonstrations and on the working environment for civil society and human rights defenders in the context of the ongoing student demonstrations which began in November 2024, following a tragedy in Novi Sad which claimed the lives of 16 people.

“The Commissioner acknowledges that the number of student demonstrations held daily across Serbia may put a strain on law enforcement forces, whose current policing appears to be restrained. However, he observes that it is critical to ensure that the framework for democratic policing is maintained in order to ensure the safety of all citizens, in line with Serbia’s obligations under international human rights standards,” a press release said.

“The Commissioner further observes that the authorities should avoid stigmatizing demonstrators through discourse that mischaracterises demonstrations as a “color revolution”.  This is important in order not to turn individuals against the students, thereby creating a risk of perpetuation of the violence against them that we have seen in recent months, as car ramming or students beaten with bats. The Commissioner urges the authorities to effectively investigate all acts of violence committed during demonstrations and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” it added.

It said that O’Flaherty was informed that some 60 people gave accounts about the health consequences of the alleged use of a sonic weapon during a March 15 protest in Belgrade to prosecutors and added that he urged the authorities and Ombudsman to investigate and identify the perpetrator of the incident and ensure accountability.

He also called the Serbian authorities to provide an opportunity to foreign nationals being expelled from the country on grounds of national security due to their public expression of support for student demonstrations to challenge the claims.
“The Commissioner encourages the Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection to fully implement their mandates in terms of protecting human rights and personal data at the national level,” the press release said.