Opinions and Statements

After the Protector of Citizens Zoran Pašalić signed the Agreement on establishing platform for recording cases of endangering journalists safety and the pressures on journalists and other media stakeholders with the representatives of media associations and unions, the Agreement’s signatories elected the Chairman and the Secretary of the Working Group for setting up the media platform at today’s meeting held at the Protector of Citizens’ premises.

Mr. Veljko Milić, the President of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV) was elected the Chairman of the Working Group by a majority vote, whereas Mr. Rade Đurić, the representative of Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS), was elected the Secretary.

The Working Group will start developing a methodology for collecting, classifying, verifying, analyzing and presenting data on endangering the safety of journalists.

The aim of establishing the Platform is to set up a more efficient mechanism of protecting the safety of journalists because accurate recording of each individual case of security threat and pressure on journalists and media workers will also contribute to a more efficient acting of the competent state bodies in cases of endangering journalists’ safety.

After learning from the media about the murder of a woman by her husband in Kozujevo village in Kragujevac, preceded by years of abuse, the Protector of Citizens launched own-initiative investigation to control work legality and regularity of the Ministry of Interior – Police Administration in Kragujevac, Social Welfare Center “Solidarnost” from Kragujevac and requested data from Kragujevac Health Care Center.

According to media reports, the victim had reported abuse by her husband, after which he was arrested, but released subsequently, as she was withdrawing the charges.

The Protector of Citizens asked the competent authorities to inform him without delay, and no later than 15 days, on the measures taken in cooperation with other competent authorities to protect the victims of domestic violence, as well as on all the circumstances of the case.

Regarding the allegations of the political life participants who call on the Protector of Citizens “not to be an accomplice of the city authorities in harassing and robbing citizens”, as they allege, and to speak up about the problem of issuing supposedly incorrect BusPlus misdemeanor orders, which were handed over to the citizens by public transport controllers, as well as regarding the stated opinion that the Decision on public passenger transport on the territory of the city of Belgrade illegally delegated the powers to Bus Plus controllers to identify citizens, the Protector of Citizens reminds that two and a half years ago, he expressed publically his assessment that the controllers in public city transport are not entitled to identify passengers.

The Protector of Citizens is mandated to control the respect for the citizens’ rights and to determine the violations that may be inflicted by administrative bodies if it is a violation of national regulations, but he is not authorized to do so if the administrative bodies violate the general acts of the autonomous province, city and municipality to the detriment of the citizens. The Protector of Citizens reminds that in the specific case, the Decision passed by the Assembly of the City of Belgrade is mentioned.

The Protector of Citizens notes that it cannot assess the correctness of specifically issued misdemeanor orders because this is within the jurisdiction of the misdemeanor court that may examine it if a citizen submits a request for court decision, according to the Law on Misdemeanors.

The Protector of Citizens urges the participants in political life to refrain from unfounded and malicious attacks on an independent state body such as the Protector of Citizens, because only in that way can they contribute to the development and improvement of a democratic society and its institutions.

Today, the Protector of Citizens, Mr. Zoran Pašalić, signed the Agreement on establishing the platform for recording the cases of endangering safety and repressions on journalists and other media stakeholders with the representatives of media associations and press unions. The agreement was signed with the Journalists’ Association of Serbia, Independent Journalists’ Association in Serbia, Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, Association of Independent Electronic Media, Media Association, Online Media Association, Business Association of Local Independent Media "Local press”, Serbian Journalists' Union (SINOS), Branch Trade Union of Culture, Arts and Media "Independence" and Autonomous Trade Union of Employees in Graphics, Publishing, News and Film of Serbia.

Mr. Pašalić said that that day was one of the most important dates in the Institutions’ work so far and expressed hope that the Agreement would improve the protection of journalists’ rights. Mr. Pašalić emphasized that the aim of setting up the platform was to establish a more efficient mechanism for protecting the safety of journalists, because accurate recording of each individual case of security threat as well as any form of pressure on journalists and media workers would contribute to more effective action of competent state authorities in cases of endangering journalist safety. Mr. Pašalić shed light on the fact that the role of the media was of great importance in the work of the Protector of Citizens, because as much as 90 per cent of investigations initiated on their own initiative was based on the information obtained from the media.

One of the signatories of the agreement, Ms. Dragana Čabarkapa, the chairwoman of SINOS, said that the media platform was extremely important for the protection of the economic rights of journalists, and expressed expectations that its work would greatly improve the position of journalists. We expect that this platform would encourage journalists and media workers to organize, to defend their labor and professional rights in the way it was done in the member countries of the European and International Federation of Journalists, of which SINOS was a member, Ms. Čabarkapa highlighted.

The Chairman of the Autonomous Association of Journalists of Serbia, Mr. Željko Bodrožić, assessed the platform as a good one because it brought together all relevant associations. We are glad that the Institution of the Protector of Citizens is standing by this. This gives us hope that the platform will come to life and that it will contribute to greater security of journalists. He added that the support of the Ombudsman will contribute to all media workers feeling safe and doing their job freely, Mr. Bodrožić said.

The Chairman of the Association of Journalists of Serbia, Mr. Vladimir Radomirović, urged all the journalists to report all types of violations of labor rights to associations and trade unions. We expect that this platform will come to life completely and that, in addition to physical threats and attacks on journalists, it would also record pressure, Mr. Radomirović pointed out.

The chairman of the Branch union of culture, art and media "Nezavisnost", Mr. Dragan Milanović, said that a safe journalist is the one who has a well-contracted job. The safety of journalists is not only physical but also security in terms of their normal life and not endangering their life and the lives of their family, Mr. Milanović explains, commenting on the importance of the platform that was signed today.

Mr. Veran Matić from the Independent Electronic Media Association accentuated that nowadays the journalists in Serbia as well as worldwide were increasingly endangered. Journalists’ Associations need to be primary support to each and every colleague wishing to do their job professionally and suffer because of that. New technologies bring new forms of threats and dangers, and we must also find ways to stop and reduce these new forms of threats to the safety and security of journalists, while punishing the perpetrators, Mr. Matić said.

The Protector of Citizens Mr. Zoran Pašalić talked today with the Ombudswoman Ms. Lora Vidović about the situation in Croatia after the devastating earthquake and offered her any help within his competence in repairing the consequences that this disaster brought to the citizens of that country.

“My colleague Ms. Vidović conveyed to me detailed information on the situation in Croatia after the earthquake and on the great effort that the local authorities are making to house 75,000 endangered people in the facilities. I offered her help within my competence so that, above all, people who were left homeless could be taken care of in this difficult situation. " said Mr. Pašalić after a telephone conversation with the Croatian colleague.

Mr. Pašalić and Ms. Vidović have agreed that the cooperation between the Ombudspersons of Serbia and Croatia has so far given positive results and expressed hope that this would be the case regarding the lives and livelihood of tens of thousands of Croatian citizens.

The Protector of Citizens is the National human rights institution and the only independent state institution mandated by the Law on the Protector of Citizens to protect child rights. In the work so far, the Protector of Citizens had been drawing attention to problems that the children had been facing, especially violence against children, the Protector of Citizens, Zoran Pašalić, MSc. said today at the conference organized by the ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy presenting the Strategy for the Prevention and Protection of Children from Violence for the period 2020-2023.

Mr. Pašalić stated that the results of the Institution so far and the expertise of the employees handling child rights in the Sector for the Rights of the Child had been recognized in all relevant international institutions and that the problems in the field of exercising child rights had become particularly pronounced at the time of this global-impact pandemic.

The European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, members of which being institutions from European countries handling the protection of child rights, stated at a meeting two days ago that Serbian Protector of Citizens during the state of emergency had been the only one to establish a service providing psychological support to citizens, especially parents with children all 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

In addition, the Protector of Citizens was the only Institution from the European network of Ombudspersons which, apart from the work in the Institution itself, conducted field visits – paying visits to the homeless and the Roma settlements in order to protect child rights.

We issued initiatives to the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministries when we believed that the measures imposed to contain coronavirus restricted child rights, Mr. Pašalić said.

The adoption of the new Law on the Protector of Citizens would provide specific independence to the Deputy Protector of Citizens for Child Rights and it would in turn contribute to our more effective work, so I expect your support for the adoption of the new Law that would reinforce the segment of the Institution handling child rights.

We could see from the adopted strategy that a significant share of our comments and suggestions was acknowledged and implemented into the text, and I expect the Ministry of Labor to issue to the Government a proposal for amending the strategy so as to include the Protector of Citizens in the working group for the implementation and monitoring of the Strategy, Mr. Pašalić concluded.

NA Speaker Ms. Maja Gojković, RS Prime Minister Ms. Ana Brnabić, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy, Mr. Zoran Đorđević and UNICEF representative Regina De Dominicis also gave a speech at the gathering.

This December marked 10 years since the Protector of Citizens’ Youth Advisory Panel has been established, working on improving the position of children and young in the Republic of Serbia through involving the children and the young in a range of topics significant for promoting their rights and shedding light on the problems they face.

“We thank all the young advisors for their contribution by participating in this body’s work in realization and protection of child rights. We are particularly grateful that you have enriched the work of this Institution with energy, enthusiasm, ideas and sincere commitment, making us even better” the Protector of Citizens said.

The Protector of Citizens’ young advisors will continue their activities in 2021 through the project “Children to Children – Know Your Rights” which is a peer knowledge exchange about child rights and their protection, under the auspices of the Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia. Within the project, funded by the Embassy of Bulgaria, trainings of young panelists on children's rights and a multi-day Summer School on the same topic are planned, and numerous promotional and informative materials on children's rights will be created.

Implementing in practice one of the fundamental principles which the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is set upon – the principle of child participation, the Protector of Citizens established Youth Advisory Panel of the Protector of Citizens and held first meeting with 30 boys and girls from the entire Serbia. So, Youth Advisory Panel became a form of permanent participation of children and the young in the work of the Protector of Citizens, a primary state body in Serbia which included children in its work.

The essential role of the Youth Advisory Panel is to convey to the Protector of Citizens topics important to children and youth, to indicate the problems they face, present their views and raise issues important for improving the positions of children and the young in Serbia. In addition, young advisors promote child's right to freedom of expression and participation in decision-making concerning children, acquaint other children with child rights and encourage peers to take an active role in improving the exercise and protection of their rights.

Boys and girls from all around Serbia, elementary and high school children, and the children from vulnerable groups are equally represented in the Youth Advisory Panel. Panel Members have successfully completed trainings organized by the Protector of Citizens including: general human rights, child rights in particular, protection against discrimination, mechanisms of stereotypes and prejudice formation, problems and the position of children on the move and the possibilities for improving child standard, as well as child participation, public advocacy and raising awareness on the need to impose legal ban on bodily punishment of children, the right to play and leisure, peer education for working with children, workshop skills etc.

On the other hand, Panel members have participated in the trainings and seminars organized by other state bodies, as well as civil society organizations. The Protector of Citizens’ Young Advisors have spoken in many conferences where they presented this Standing Body of the Protector of Citizens promoting child participation and talked about the Panel’s activities and their results.

The Young Advisors acquainted their peers from all around the country with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the role of the Protector of Citizens Institution in protecting child rights, they have conducted surveys on the protection of children and pupils from bullying, as well as on the children’s attitude to bodily punishment; and through the activity “Children to Children and Children for Children” they held workshops with the children and the young who live and work on the streets. They were giving lectures on child rights to elementary and high school students through our country. In addition, the panelists issued recommendations to the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Government of Serbia, ministries, schools and other competent institutions to improve the position of children and protect their rights in a better way.

The Protector of Citizens, Mr. Zoran Pašalić, conveyed his congratulations on the upcoming holidays to the citizens of Serbia wishing them sound health and progress and highlighted greater engagement of the Institution which he represents on further promotion and protection of human rights of all citizens, as well as the control of competent institutions’ work legality and regularity.

“Distinguished citizens of Serbia, I wish you a lot of health, joy and success in the new 2021. The Protector of Citizens’ priority will continue to be full protection and respect for the human rights of all citizens, as well as detailed monitoring over the work of all competent state institutions. The doors of the institution are always open to you ", the Protector of Citizens said.

Mr. Pašalić reminded that the institution of the Protector of Citizens in 2020, which was completely marked by the Covid-19 virus pandemic, gained the greatest trust of the citizens of the Republic of Serbia, which was confirmed by two separate surveys of civil society organizations and the United Nations Human Rights Team.

“One of the challenges that is before us in the coming year is the adoption of the new Law on the Protector of Citizens drafted by the experts from our Institution. This draft law should provide the Protector of Citizens, as an independent state institution, greater competencies in order to enable the citizens of Serbia to realize their rights as effectively as possible”, Mr. Pašalić said.