Youth Initiative for Human Rights invites young journalists and social science students from Serbia interested in the topic of the wars of the 1990s to apply for the three-month research and educational program “War History and Facts” that will last from the beginning of June to the end of August 2026 in Serbia. The program aims to empower eight young authors who, after an educational workshop, research training and a mentoring process, will write papers in which they will analyze certain aspects of mass human rights violations during the war years of the 1990s based on judicially established facts.
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights, in cooperation with Students for Liberty, held a panel titled “Serbia and China: A Steel Friendship in Violating Human Rights” on April 28, 2026, at the European House. The panel focused on Serbia–China relations and the consequences of these relations for the citizens of both countries. The event was organized as part of the conference New Frontiers for Liberty.
From April 20 to 24, participants of the Regional Youth Leadership Mobility Programme (RYLMP) visited Belgrade as part of their regular program activities.
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights has filed a complaint with the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality against the Mayor of the City of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, after he posted a photograph of Ratko Mladić on social media on Saturday, April 18, 2026, accompanied by the message that this war criminal is a “Serbian hero.” We consider such a statement by a public official of the City of Belgrade to constitute hate speech and a severe form of discrimination against Bosniak and Croatian communities. We call on all councilor groups in the Belgrade City Assembly to condemn the glorification of war criminals.
Youth Initiative for Human Rights once again draws the attention of the domestic and international public to the increase in the number of cases of threats, physical and verbal violence to which rebellious citizens, especially students and representatives of opposition political parties in Serbia, have been exposed in recent days. We demand from the prosecutor's office to investigate these attacks without delay, and from the regulatory bodies to protect citizens from persecution by the authorities.
