Civic associations with years-long experience in law and the judiciary hereby express concern about the way in which the expert and general public is engaged in the constitutional amendment procedure. In our opinion, the representatives of the Government and Justice Ministry need to open a public debate on constitutional amendments without delay, in which they will involve not only select civic associations (which had submitted their written suggestions on constitutional amendments), but other associations, institutions and most importantly – the citizens – as well. We call on the Justice Ministry to publish the draft constitutional amendments to be debated.

Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM appeals to be urgently investigated irregularities and illegalities in the work of police officers while they were securing a public assembly, inauguration of the President of the Republic of Serbia on 31 May 2017.

Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM hereby appeals to the authorities in Serbia, with the aim of protecting democratic order and the rule of law, to investigate all reported cases that point to electoral irregularities, both in the pre-election period and on the elections day, especially those pertaining to criminal acts regarding the election process and right of citizens to freely vote.

At a meeting today with Ms Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, civil society representatives from the National Convention on the European Union opened the topics of European integration, rule of law, security, media rights, regional relations and common foreign policy of Serbia and the EU, with the active role of civil society in the negotiation process with the EU.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, as an organization that has been fighting for human rights and democracy for many years, together with other Civil Society Organizations signed below, harshly condemns the actions with which the authorities in Serbia are undermining the reputation of the state, with non-transparent proposals of candidates for membership in international bodies, for positions in charge of human rights protection.

The recusal of judge Aleksandar Trešnjev and the High Judicial Council’s decision to review the compatibility of the judicial function and membership in the NGO Centre for Judicial Research (CEPRIS) amount to flagrant violations of the constitutionally guaranteed rights to work and association and interference in judicial independence.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM demands from the authorities in Serbia that by the decisions of their organs do not impose restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly contrary to guarantees contained in the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and in international standards of freedom of peaceful assembly.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, with the support of the International Bar Association, Human Rights House Network and the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on issues of independence of judges and lawyers, Mónica Pinto, organizes two-day consultations on Saturday and Sunday, June 11^th and 12^th 2016, at the Hotel Moskva in Belgrade.

By the direct application of ratified international convention on human rights, City municipality Zemun, has stopped the forced evictions of informal Roma settlement Grmeč until securing a durable housing solution for the inhabitants of this settlement.