Press release regarding the attitude of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia towards the event in Banjska
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights considers the position of the institutions and highest officials of the Republic of Serbia regarding the event in Banjska deeply wrong and harmful, and is concerned about publicly declared government support for violent paramilitary activity. Although this is not the first time that Serbia’s government representatives glorify persons for their criminal activities which are subsequently covered under the cloak of patriotism, the murder of a Kosovo police officer and several hours of fire exchange in Banjska threaten to deepen the conflict and continue tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.
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YIHR Serbia regarding the escalation of violence in Kosovo: Peace is not just a word
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia (YIHR Serbia) calls the President of the Republic of Serbia and the members of the Government not to approach peace in such a delicate situation as if it were established by simply using the word peace in light of the escalating gravity of the situation in the north of Kosovo. Actions and responsible public discourse that prevents the escalation of ethnic hatred is the foundation of a lasting peace. In order to prevent the situation in the northern part of Kosovo from turning violent again, we request that the President of the Republic speak with representatives of the Kosovo Serbs.
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Leaving the Council of Europe Membership Would be a Step Towards a Dictatorship and the End of Serbia ‘s European Integration
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia is concerned about the statement made by Aleksandra Djurovic, Ambassador of Serbia to the Council of Europe (CoE), at the organization’s 4th Summit on May 17, in which she pointed out that “Serbia is in a situation to consider the further meaning and modality of its membership in this organization, by the decision to start the procedure for Kosovo’s membership.” Such announcements by government officials pose an additional risk to Serbia’s deeply breached human rights protection commitments.
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YIHR Serbia demands the dismissal of the Minister of Education Branko Ruzic!
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia (YIHR Serbia) demands the immediate dismissal of the Minister of Education, Branko Ruzic, due to the political instrumentalization of the tragedy at Elementary School “Vladislav Ribnikar”. We also call for accountability of Veselin Milic, the chief of the Belgrade police, for publicizing the list of names of the minor victims and mentioning the juvenile offender’s name. The legality of disclosing this information must be reviewed by the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Protection of Personal Data, the Ombudsman of Serbia, the Internal Control Sector of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor office.
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