On the occasion of the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, Praxis expresses satisfaction because the Republic of Serbia has ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

CE Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence is the most comprehensive international treaty in this field. It calls on states to work on prevention and combat violence against women. This means that states are obliged to organize their response to all forms of violence covered by the Convention, so that the authorities may conscientiously prevent, investigate and punish the committed acts of violence. If they fail, the states are responsible for acts of violence.

According to the data of the network Women against Violence, from the beginning of the year until 21 November 2013, a total of 41 women were killed. All killed women knew the perpetrators, and in some cases violence was reported even before a woman was killed.

The Convention recognizes and pays special attention to multiply discriminated groups of women, such as migrants, refugees, Roma and others, starting from the fact that often, because of their residence status, they may be excluded from the support services. The specificity of such population groups is the fact that such persons have already experienced forced living of their homes or they are facing the extremely difficult social exclusion and marginalization. Some of them live in collective centres where living conditions are extremely difficult, some in unrecognized collective centres, and most of displaced members of Roma live in informal settlements. They are in a difficult economic and social situation, and their economic vulnerability sometimes affects their decision to leave their husbands more reluctantly. Their vulnerability is also reflected in the fact that they come from post-conflict areas, because an abuser’s threat causes a much greater trauma if he possesses a weapon.

Within the adoption of the Convention, the activities aimed at protection of women from violence are not completed. On the contrary, they have just started. The process of harmonization of domestic legislation with the Convention is ahead of us, in order to build a more efficient system of protection of victims and prosecution of perpetrators.

In this regard, we are calling upon the state to urgently initiate the harmonization of domestic legislation with the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

On 18 November 2013, a panel discussion for members of Roma communities was held in Zrenjanin within the project “Equal Chances for Better Prospects – Strengthening Roma in Combating Discrimination” implemented by the Office of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality in cooperation with Praxis. The goal of the panel discussion, which was the part of information and education campaign of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, was raising awareness about the term and significance of discrimination and human rights protection mechanism, and empowering of the members of vulnerable social groups in fight against discrimination.

In addition to the members of Roma community, the panel discussion was also attended by members of non-governmental organizations, andragogical assistants, holders of the adult education programme “The Second Chance” in the territory of the City of Zrenjanin, who stated that the most of the attendees are of Roma nationality.

The representatives of the Office of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality first presented the institution of the Commissioner, its organization and competence, particularly emphasizing that it is an independent body similar to many other institutions in Europe. Then the participants were acquainted with the legal term of discrimination and through an interactive approach and examples they pointed at the difference between the acts and behaviour that would represent discrimination in a concrete case and those that would not. Finally, expressing the concern about a small number of complaints filed by persons of Roma nationality and representatives of their organizations, the representatives of the Office of Commissioner acquainted the present with the procedure upon the complaint and called on them to react at acts of possible discrimination by filing a complaint to the Commissioner, even when they are not sure whether it is discrimination, since the procedure is free of charge and requests in regard to form of initial act are minimal. The publications of the Commissioner and a form of complaint in the Roma language were handed out to the present.

The representative of Praxis also contributed to the enlightenment of the problem of discrimination against Roma by pointing through the facts of the cases in which Praxis was the representative at the basic problems and impediments Roma face when trying to exercise the basic human rights, and danger of discriminatory acting towards them. Finally, she encouraged the present to address the Commissioner by a complaint. Praxis’ printed publications were handed out to the participants and the report “Protecting Roma against Discrimination” published in September 2013 was surely the most interesting to them.

The participants were able to take an active part and express their recent experience and observations in regard to exercise of rights. As, according to them, they were not acquainted with the institution of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, precisely with their role, authority and competences, the panel discussion significantly contributed to raising awareness of the members of Roma nationality in the territory of the City of Zrenjanin about their right to equality and need to use the protection instrument for the stated right aimed at prevention of discrimination.  

Radio Television of Serbia prepared a video clip about the Roma who were last year evicted from the surrounding of the Belgrade-based settlement Belvil and are not still fully integrated in new environments, which is proved by the recent protests in Zemun polje and unwillingness of local self-governments throughout Serbia to provide them the alternative accommodation and all necessary support.  

On that occasion, Danilo Curcic, Praxis legal analyst, gave a statement for RTS.

See the video here.

On the occasion of the Universal Children’s Day, Praxis welcomes the efforts made to improve the position of children in Serbia. At the same time, Praxis is concerned about the children who were not registered at birth and are thus stateless. The right to legal personality and the range of related rights are inaccessible for hundreds of legally invisible children who are not recognized as persons before the law, and who are out of the system of health care and social protection. We remind of the Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child which Serbia has ratified and which envisages that the child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name and the right to acquire a nationality.

In addition, Praxis is also concerned about discrimination against children, which is still prevalent in our society, and particularly the children from the marginalized social groups despite the existence of valid anti-discriminatory legal framework.

We call on all state bodies, institutions and other relevant stakeholders to pay special attention to children from the marginalized social groups in order to break the chain of social exclusion and to work intensively on development of tolerance, understanding, respect for difference and promotion of equality.

Jelena Milonjic, Praxis legal adviser, was the the guest of the journalist Gordana Lazarevic in TV show of Evronet dedicated to protection from discrimination.

Watch the TV show Combat against discrimination.

Twenty-three months after submitting the request for determining the citizenship, S. K. received a decision determining her citizenship. The procedure for determining the citizenship was conducted by Praxis, as a legal representative of S. K. before the Police Station in Novi Beograd. Radio Belgrade I broadcasted the statement published by Praxis on that occasion.

Download the statement here.

It’s a disgrace that, on the International Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism, citizens for days live in fear of fascist shouting that can be heard at the protests in Zemun Polje, in the part of the territory of the City of Belgrade. Civil society organizations request that the state bodies, especially the City and Municipal authorities, urgently respond to racist incidents because, otherwise, they will be held responsible for the violence that has been escalating lately in the settlement Kamendin in Zemun Polje, Municipality of Zemun.

We expect all the competent bodies to:

• Condemn the incidents and initiate the procedures against all those who have been spreading racial intolerance and hatred, calling on discrimination and creating a lynch-mob atmosphere;
• Stop politicizing this issue, because the safety of all citizens is a priority and elimination of racism a Constitutional obligation, and to set aside their political colours and jointly get down on resolving this problem;
• Urgently respond and coordinate activities aimed at reduction of violence.

We expect the City and Municipal authorities to:

• Publish correct data to deny false reports and information that have appeared in the domestic media for days in relation to social housing and actual costs of this type of protection of rights;
• Organize a meeting as soon as possible with all competent secretariats and citizens and to coordinate activities that should result in improvement of health and other conditions of the residents of this part of the city.

We expect the Ministry of Interior:

• Not to permit public spread and promotion of hatred and racial intolerance, in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.

At the same time, we to the citizens to be aware of all potential types of manipulation in this moment and not to take part and not to provide support to those whose only goal is to spread hatred and violence.

Putting the blame on Roma population for all the crimes that occur in a certain territory is extremely dangerous, because it means agreeing with the prejudices and criminalizing a vulnerable group of population.

In relation to discriminatory and insulting articles in the media, civil society organizations will file a complaint to the Press Council against the media which, through their irresponsible reporting, create a climate in which the violence against the Roma is permitted.

• Praxis
• Centre for Youth Integration,  Drop in Centre - CYI
• House of Human Rights and Democracy consisting of:
  - Lawyers Committee for Human Rights YUCOM
  - Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
  - Civic Initiatives
  - Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia
  - Policy Centre
• Regional Centre for Minorities
• Women in Black
• Center for Cultural Decontamination
• Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies (CEAS)
• Labris – Organization for lesbian human rights
• Civic Reading-Room “Libergraf”
• Impuls, Tutin
• ALTERO – Association for personal training, education, development and empowerment
• Association South Serbia Women
• NGO “Veza”
• Roma Women’s Rights Center, Nis
• Reconstruction Women’s Fund
• Voice of Difference (Glas razlike)
• Centre for Advanced Legal Studies
• Centre for Margin (Centar za marginu)
• The Network of the Committees for Human Rights in Serbia CHRIS
• Roma Center DAE
• Centre for Nonviolent Action
• Sandzak Committee for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality established that the weekly regional newspaper “Nase novine” had hurt the dignity of the members of Roma minority and violated the provisions of the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination by publishing an article entitled “A Bite in a ‘Romani’ Way”.

On that occasion, Jasmina Mikovic, Praxis Deputy Director, gave a statement for Radio Belgrade I.

Download the statement here.

After a Roma accused of kidnapping a child were arrested in Greece, pressure on the minority group has increased throughout Europe. On that occasion, Jasmina Mikovic, Deputy Executive Director of Praxis, was interviewed by SETimes.

Download the interview here.

On 8 November 2013, a meeting was held in relation to the Project “Equal Opportunities for Better Perspectives, Strengthening of Roma People to Combat Discrimination” implemented by the Commissioner for Protection of Equality in cooperation with non-governmental organizations Praxis and the Regional Centre for Minorities, co-funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands. The role of Praxis and the Regional Centre for Minorities in this project consists of organization of public debates across Serbia aimed at raising awareness and empowering the Roma to combat discrimination.

The aim of the meeting was to acquaint the representatives of the Netherlands Embassy in Serbia and the Dutch Minister of Human Rights, Mr Lionel Veer, with the project activities implemented so far in the field of protection of Roma against discrimination and their impact. On that occasion, representatives of Praxis and the Regional Centre for Minorities shared their experiences in representing the interests of Roma in the cases related to protection against discrimination before the competent bodies.

See the news from the website of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality: Visit of the Dutch Minister of Human Rights to the Commissioner (Serbian only)