THE BARBALIĆ FAMILY’S ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE

Since 1997, the Barbalić family has been embroiled in a battle against a grave injustice-the loss of their rightful home in Zemun, Serbia. Having held tenancy rights since 1966, their lives were upended when, during a family vacation, their belongings were removed from their apartment and replaced by a member of the Serbian Radical Party. This individual subsequently purchased the apartment from the municipality, leaving the Barbalić family without their possessions and fighting against unlawful eviction. The situation was exacerbated by a hostile media campaign led by Vojislav Šešelj, then a prominent political figure, who publicly targeted the family, endangering their safety and well-being. Legal proceedings spanned from 1997 to 2013, culminating in a decision by the Court of Appeals in Belgrade. In 2015, YUCOM submitted a constitutional complaint to the Serbian Constitutional Court, asserting violations of the Barbalić family’s right to a fair trial and property rights. After a lengthy five-year wait, the Constitutional Court acknowledged a breach of the right to a timely trial, awarding a mere €600 in damages, which the legal team deemed inadequate. In November 2019, the legal team escalated the matter to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the compensation failed to address the prolonged denial of justice and the family’s property rights. The Barbalić family has yet to find justice in Serbia and remains hopeful that the European Court will recognize the injustices they have faced over the past 23 years.