Protest to the Government of the Republic of Serbia because of the banning of the Belgrade Pride
11/01/2010
Submitted by
Sanja Juras, Lesbian Group Kontra
Embassy of the Republic of Serbia
Radivoj Cvjetičanin, Ambassador
Pantovčak 245, 10 000 Zagreb
Zagreb, 21.09.2009
Your Excellency,
We are writing to you in order to make a protest to the Government of the Republic of Serbia because of the banning of the public gathering in favour of the rights of sexual and gender minorities under the name of Belgrade Pride.
We consider that by preventing the holding of Belgrade Pride, it has been demonstrated that neither an effective civil society nor minimal democratic standards exist in the country. Everybody has the right to peaceful public assembly. Not only is it guaranteed by national laws but it is also guaranteed by numerous international general provisions about human rights, including the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights with its associated protocols which is also applicable to the Republic of Serbia.
The Republic of Serbia in this particular case had the duty to protect the peaceful gathering with appropriate measures. When the freedom of peaceful assembly of Belgrade Pride was brought into question because of a counter-demonstration and threats of violence, and thus a threat to public order arose, the country had the positive duty to protect from all threats the right of the participants of Belgrade Pride to their freedom of assembly.
The intimidation of participants of Belgrade Pride by police officials by showing films of violent content is unacceptable behaviour by the Republic of Serbia which instead of promoting, stifles and stamps on basic human rights.
We request you to consider our protest note and to bring your behaviour into line with the law, constitution and all international documents which oblige your country to protect and promote human rights, and ask you to do everything necessary so that an event of the same content can be held on a future date.
We will also contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia so that our political authorities might make the same appeal to you.
In the hope that our voice will not be forgotten, we send you our best wishes and express our sincere respects.
Sanja Juras,
Coordinator of Lesbian Group Kontra
Bojana Genov,
Coordinator of the Women’s Network of Croatia
Augustin Zonjic,
Coordinator of Iskorak
Radivoj Cvjetičanin, Ambassador
Pantovčak 245, 10 000 Zagreb
Zagreb, 21.09.2009
Your Excellency,
We are writing to you in order to make a protest to the Government of the Republic of Serbia because of the banning of the public gathering in favour of the rights of sexual and gender minorities under the name of Belgrade Pride.
We consider that by preventing the holding of Belgrade Pride, it has been demonstrated that neither an effective civil society nor minimal democratic standards exist in the country. Everybody has the right to peaceful public assembly. Not only is it guaranteed by national laws but it is also guaranteed by numerous international general provisions about human rights, including the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights with its associated protocols which is also applicable to the Republic of Serbia.
The Republic of Serbia in this particular case had the duty to protect the peaceful gathering with appropriate measures. When the freedom of peaceful assembly of Belgrade Pride was brought into question because of a counter-demonstration and threats of violence, and thus a threat to public order arose, the country had the positive duty to protect from all threats the right of the participants of Belgrade Pride to their freedom of assembly.
The intimidation of participants of Belgrade Pride by police officials by showing films of violent content is unacceptable behaviour by the Republic of Serbia which instead of promoting, stifles and stamps on basic human rights.
We request you to consider our protest note and to bring your behaviour into line with the law, constitution and all international documents which oblige your country to protect and promote human rights, and ask you to do everything necessary so that an event of the same content can be held on a future date.
We will also contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia so that our political authorities might make the same appeal to you.
In the hope that our voice will not be forgotten, we send you our best wishes and express our sincere respects.
Sanja Juras,
Coordinator of Lesbian Group Kontra
Bojana Genov,
Coordinator of the Women’s Network of Croatia
Augustin Zonjic,
Coordinator of Iskorak
