Meeting of Organizations from the Region Documenting Human Rights Violations

A consultative meeting with representatives of organizations from the region working on documenting human rights violations committed during and in connection with the wars in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990’s was held on February 4^th, 2016, in the Library of the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC). Representatives of the Center for Democracy and Transitional Justice (BiH), Association of Women from Prijedor “Izvor” (BiH), Center for Dealing with the Past – Documenta (Croatia), Vojvodinian Civic Center (Serbia), Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Croatia, Association of Witnesses and Survivors of Genocide (BiH), Association of Concentration Camp Survivors in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the Engine Room (Croatia), Sandžak Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (Serbia), the HLC and HLC Kosovo participated in this meeting.

State Shows Overt Negligence towards Civilian Victims of War

On January 22^nd, 2016, the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) presented the report “Victims’ Right to Reparation in Serbia and the European Court of Human Rights Standards”. The Report sums up the findings about the legal framework and the practice of respect for the right of victims of human rights violations committed during the 1990s to reparation, as evidenced during 2014 and 2015, in relation to the standards of the European Court of Human Rights. Approximately 40 representatives of civil society, victims’ associations, the media, embassies and international organizations participated in the Conference.

Victims’ Right to Reparation in Serbia and the European Court of Human Rights Standards

For societies that have experienced periods of massive human rights violations, the issue of reparations for victims is one of the most important elements for the establishment of the rule of law and creating solidarity and a human rights culture.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: Press conference for presenting the report “Victims’ Right to Reparation in Serbia and the European Court of Human Rights Standards”

The Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) will present the report “Victims’ Right to Reparation in Serbia and the European Court of Human Rights Standardsˮ on Friday, January 22^nd, 2015 at 1:00pm, at the Media Centre in Belgrade (Terazije 3, II floor).

The Report presents individual examples of efforts by victims of mass violations of human rights during the 1990s to obtain their right to reparations in Serbia within court proceedings in Serbian courts, as well as under the Law on the Rights of Civilian Invalids of War. The HLC has also analysed key obstacles to the achievement of victims’ rights in relation to the standards laid down in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as defined through the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The report relies upon the HLC’s many years of practice in representing victims before domestic authorities and international bodies.

The Report was drawn up with the support of Civil Rights Defenders (CRD).

The Report will be presented by:

Sandra Orlović, HLC Executive Director

Goran Miletić, CRD Programme Director for the Western Balkans

Saša Gajin, Professor at Union University School of Law

Milica Kostić, HLC Legal Director

Relja Radosavljević, HLC Legal Analyst

Dževad Koldžić, son of Mevlida Koldžić, woman forcibly disappeared from Sjeverin

Simoultaneous translation into English will be provided

(srpski) Programi kandidata za Tužioca za ratne zločine

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(srpski) Ročište po tužbi Ljubiše Dikovića protiv Nataše Kandić i Fonda za humanitarno pravo

Sorry, this entry is only available in srpski.

Council of the European Union: Transitional Justice as EU Priority in Post-Conflict and Post-Authoritarian Societies

The Council of the European Union (EU) adopted the EU’s Policy Framework on Support to Transitional Justice (Framework) on November 16^th, 2015. This Framework defines the manner in which the EU would engage in situations which require dealing with the legacy of gross violations of human rights, in the light of international criminal law and international humanitarian law. The Council of the EU emphasizes that the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms represents a priority for the EU in its relations with post-conflict and post-authoritarian societies.

(srpski) Ročište po tužbi Ljubiše Dikovića protiv Nataše Kandić i Fonda za humanitarno pravo

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European Commission evaluating Serbia’s progress in establishing responsibility for war crimes

The European Commission (EC) published the Serbia 2015 Progress Report on November 10^th, 2015. The Report follows the progress that Serbia has made in meeting the political and economic criteria for membership in the European Union. The findings of the Report related to establishing responsibility for the war crimes committed and a resolution of the legacy of the armed conflicts on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, follow to a great extent the recommendations from last year’s report.

First victims’ testimonies at trial for crime in Trnje

The trial against an officer and a non-commissioned officer in the Serbian Army, Pavle Gavrilović and Rajko Kozlina, for the crime committed against a civilian population in the village of Trnje in March 1999, continued on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 27th and 28th, 2015, in Courtroom 2 of the Special Court. After the postponement of the previous five main hearings, victims and eyewitnesses of the crime will appear for the first time to testify in the trial session.