Freedom House: Serbia still Considered "Partly Free"

Vreme

Serbia hasn't left a group of "partly free" states, and has slipped one place to 67th as well, joining a group of around 30 countries with the largest drop in freedoms over the past 10 years, says the latest annual report by the Freedom House.

In terms of freedoms, Serbia has backslid dramatically in the past decade, having lost 12 points, says the Freedom in the World 2020 report, released on March 4.

The "partly free" category includes all the Western Balkans, save Croatia, which the report has described as "free." North Macedonia is the only one in the group that progressed on the list, having added four points.

"In Montenegro and Serbia, independent journalists, opposition figures and others seen as enemies to the government are exposed to harassment, intimidation and sometimes violence. Public frustration with ruling parties has spilled into large-scale protests in both countries, but they haven't led to significant changes," the report says.

The group of states that reported the strongest decline in freedoms in the past decade includes 29 states. Serbia is the 20th on the list, recording a 12-point drop.