The Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Croatia (YIHR Croatia) was founded to promote reconciliation and normalization of relations in the region, based on justice and human rights. We have often been among the few who, even in the face of the most challenging relations with the Republic of Serbia over the past 15 years, insisted on dialogue and bridging differences in attitudes and policies. On several occasions, YIHR Croatia has protested against the deterioration of relations, insufficient investment in improving ties between two countries, or a lack of patience necessary for a civilized resolution of outstanding issues. When relations escalated, YIHR Croatia was always among the first to urge the authorities in Croatia to de-escalate the situation and find diplomatic solutions.
However, what we are witnessing now, in our opinion, constitutes unlawful institutional conduct and defies rules of democracy. The TV station Informer, the host of the show and a convicted war criminal Vojislav Šešelj displayed copies of Croatian citizens’ personal identification cards, claiming they were “training the leaders of student protests.” Among those whose right to privacy and personal data protection has been grossly violated in this public defamatory campaign are youth members of political parties (parties which are also members of the PYN), an activist from the Initiative, journalists of Croatian media, and others.
Although the claims about the training of protesters are defamatory and entirely false, this is in fact the least important aspect of this incident. The more significant issue is that the Republic of Serbia has, through this, demonstrated that its institutions no longer operate within the confines of the law. The legality of its institutions has been called into question, and the rule of law in Serbia is seriously jeopardized.
The individuals whose personal documents were displayed on this television program traveled to Serbia for various reasons and stayed in different accommodations. This, therefore, raises the question of how copies of their personal documents reached a convicted war criminal and Informer. Were these documents accessed through institutional channels, and were they forwarded from border crossings in the Republic of Serbia?
Because of this, YIHR Croatia demands the following:
From the Republic of Serbia:
- To immediately stop this practice;
- To initiate legal proceedings against those within Serbian institutions responsible for abusing their position and authority to unlawfully handle personal documents and data of Croatian and European citizens; and
- To hold accountable those who ordered this illegal conduct.
From the Republic of Croatia:
- That the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs immediately summons the Serbian Ambassador to Croatia for a meeting to lodge a formal protest;
- That a formal protest note is sent to the Republic of Serbia;
- That a warning is published on official websites and communication channels to inform Croatian citizens of the risks of traveling to Serbia in light of this practice and the reasonable expectation arising from it that Serbian institutions, acting outside the boundaries of legal provisions, may misuse their personal documents and data, exposing them to public defamation and insecurity.
From the European Parliament:
- Particularly from the EP Rapporteur on Serbia, MEP Tonino Picula, to further investigate and document this unlawful conduct and condemn this and similar incidents in his reports on Serbia’s EU membership negotiations.
From the European Commission:
- To publicly react in defense of the rights and interests of European citizens by demanding accountability from Serbian institutions and implicated officials and civil servants; and
- To warn all European citizens and business entities about the risks of traveling to Serbia due to potential unlawful actions by Serbian institutions, which could infringe upon their rights and expose them to insecurity.
YIHR Croatia has addressed these concerns through formal letters to relevant institutions and will inform domestic and international media about the further developments. Simultaneously, YIHR Croatia calls on all media to report on this issue to raise awareness among citizens about the risks they might face in the context of unlawful actions by Serbian media and institutions, particularly during business, tourist, or family visits to Serbia.
YIHR Croatia also takes this opportunity to express solidarity with all citizens of Serbia, especially those in civil society, students, courageous voices in the media, academia, and public intellectuals who tirelessly warn against and resist the erosion of the rule of law and the suspension of democracy we are witnessing. The decline of democracy and the rule of law in Serbia represents a significant political, security, and economic risk for the entire region. It is the duty of the European Union, the Republic of Croatia, and multilateral organizations to do everything in their power to support their own citizens and the citizens of Serbia in their efforts to uphold democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Serbia belongs to the political family of free and democratic European Union member states.