Strasbourg(Photo:PrintScreen YouTube)
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty said on May 22 that the human rights situation in Serbia has deteriorated over the past year.
Summarizing his visit to Serbia from May 18-21, the commissioner said the declining credibility of state institutions responsible for protecting human rights must be halted and reversed. He stressed the importance of fully and consistently implementing the Venice Commission's recommendations regarding judicial laws, particularly those concerning the protection of prosecutorial autonomy.
O'Flaherty also emphasized the importance of independent human rights institutions and added that, "I unfortunately agree with many interlocutors who believe that the Protector of Citizens (ombudsman) is failing to fulfil its mandate regarding the issues covered during the visit.” He described polarization in Serbia as worrying, saying that “mechanisms for cooperation between civil society and the authorities on human rights issues are no longer functioning.”
The Commissioner also expressed concern over physical attacks on journalists and threats to their safety and that of their families, as well as the lack of a police response. According to Serbia’s Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists - which consists of journalistic associations, prosecutors and police - only five out of around 200 documented attacks against journalists recorded in 2024 and 2025 resulted in final court rulings.
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