Serbia Responds to German Concerns over Violation of Students’ Human Rights

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BETA/Nenad Petrovic)

In a Dec. 13 response to an announcement from the German Federal Foreign Office that Serbian university students should be free to express their opinion after a deadly partial structure collapse in Novi Sad without intimidation, the Serbian Foreign Ministry noted that Serbia was committed to democratic principles and carrying out a detailed and transparent investigation into the incident, but that it was important "to stress the principle of non-interference in the domestic political affairs of sovereign and equal European states."

"While we value the importance of dialogue and cooperation with out international partners, like Germany, it is necessary to stress the principle of non-interference in the domestic political affairs of sovereign and equal European states. Public statements attempting to assess internal processes in Serbia without full knowledge of the facts risk undermining the mutual trust and constructive relations that we strive to maintain with our partners," reads a post on the Serbian Foreign Ministry's account on the X social media platfom.

The Serbian ministry included a message from the German Foreign Office, also posted on X, which said that "students and journalists" in Serbia were seeking a detailed investigation after the tragic incident in Novi Sad.

In its response, the Serbian ministry stressed that Serbia "remains steadfast in its dedication to democratic principles, the rule of law and protection of human rights," adding that these were all values fundamental to Serbian society and its aspirations of European Union membership. "The tragic incident in Novi Sad is a matter of great concern and we are fully committed to carrying out a detailed and transparent investigation and ensuring accountability and justice," the Serbian Foreign Ministry said.