The Protector of Citizens asked higher education institutions in Serbia to adopt an act on prevention and protection against sexual harassment of students and employees as soon as possible, which will define the concept of discrimination and sexual harassment and prescribe preventive measures and procedures for protection against such forms of behaviour. The Protector of Citizens also requested that the mediation procedure be deleted in the manner specified in the rulebook that some faculties have already adopted, because it foresees the confrontation of the complainant with the perpetrator, which leads to the re-traumatization of a potential victim.

The Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pašalić, said that, after launching the investigation into the legality and regularity of work of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Belgrade, regarding allegations of suspected sexual harassment of female students by professors of that faculty, he requested and received insight into whether and in what manner other universities in Serbia regulated the issue of protection from sexual harassment. After having determined that there were omissions in the activities undertaken at the faculties, the Institution of the Protector of Citizens sent an opinion to all higher education institutions with instructions on how to regulate this issue with the highest degree of respect for the rights of students and employees, said Pašalić and called on the victims to continue reporting abusers at faculties.

The Protector Citizens Zoran Pašalić said today on the occasion of International Pride Day that LGBTI persons are still exposed to abuse, verbal and physical violence and said that Serbia must provide conditions in which members of this population would feel as equal members of society.

Legal regulation of same-sex unions and the consequences of adjusting gender and gender identity, education about the position and rights of LGBTI persons, activities aimed at breaking prejudices and stereotypes and developing support services are a prerequisite for the systemic improvement of the position of the LGBTI population in Serbia, Pašalić pointed out.

"I expect that the adopted Law on Amendments to the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination and the Law on Gender Equality will enable a greater degree of protection for LGBTI persons, and future amendments to the Criminal Code should treat criminal acts committed on the basis of sexual orientation as acts of racism and intolerance", Zoran Pašalić said.

The prevention of torture and the fight against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment is not only a matter of fulfilling Serbia's international obligations. By guaranteeing the physical and psychological integrity and dignity of every citizen, we protect the dignity of all of us, said the Protector of Citizens Zoran Pašalić today, on the occasion of 26th June, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

Pašalić emphasized that in preventing torture and protecting the rights of persons deprived of their liberty who are in closed institutions, visits with a preventive nature and controls over the manner in which they are treated are of particular importance, as well as the manner of implementation of effective investigations into all allegations of possible abuse and the certainty of punishing the perpetrators. In Serbia, there is a tendency to improve the protection of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, as well as to prevent torture and other forms of abuse, he added.

In the first half of this year, the Protector of Citizens, in carrying out the work of the National Preventive Mechanism, made 43 visits to places where persons deprived of their liberty are or may be located, and on the basis of the conducted visits, issued over 60 recommendations to the visited institutions and relevant ministries in order to improve material conditions in which they live, as well as health care and treatment. One of the preconditions for improving the position of persons deprived of their liberty in the Republic of Serbia is the implementation of continuous trainings of police officers on human rights and acting in accordance with applicable regulations and standards, Zoran Pašalić pointed out.

World Refugee Day is a day that reminds us of the worst human tragedies, of people who have been left without a home, without their loved ones, without a home and a job, who are forced to look for a new temporary or permanent home somewhere far away. These people need our help and solidarity. They need our understanding every day, not only today, said the Protector of Citizens Zoran Pašalić today.

On the occasion of celebrating 20th June - World Refugee Day, Pašalić pointed out that refugees in the Republic of Serbia are provided with all the necessary conditions for a temporary life with full respect for international standards, but that there is also a high degree of understanding and solidarity, because Serbia, with its many decades of experience with refugees, can in the right way to recognize and understand the suffering of refugees.

The Protector of Citizens continuously monitors the situation of refugees in Serbia, especially sensitive and vulnerable groups. In carrying out the duties of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), the Protector of Citizens regularly visits places where migrants and refugees are located, as well as the authorities that deal with them. Recommendations were issued to them to eliminate the identified omissions in work and improve the position of refugees.