Freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression are fundamental rights and among the cornerstones of any democratic society. The frequent protests held in the Republic of Serbia in recent years have put these values to a serious test, raising numerous questions regarding the permissible limits of action by state authorities. In the context of allegations of excessive use of force, arbitrary deprivations of liberty and various forms of pressure exerted on activists and citizens, the role of international human rights protection mechanisms acquires particular importance, both in ensuring independent and objective oversight and in holding the competent institutions accountable for any breaches of international human rights standards.
This analysis seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the responses of the United Nations (UN) human rights protection mechanisms to violations of fundamental rights and freedoms in the context of protests in the Republic of Serbia in the September 2024 – November 2025 period. The analysis focuses on the following three key levels:
- Reactions and oversight – an examination of the manner in which UN treaty bodies and special procedures identified, monitored and documented human rights violations in the context of civic assemblies in the September 2024 – December 2025 period.
- Recommendations and guidance – a detailed review of the recommendations these mechanisms addressed to the Government of the Republic of Serbia, concerning the alignment of practice and the relevant legislative framework with international human rights standards.
- Human rights situation and state conduct – an analysis of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of association and the situation of human rights defenders, as well as an assessment of the Serbian Government’s actions or failures to act upon receipt of these recommendations, with particular focus on the extent of their implementation in practice.
In addition to formal reports and recommendations, the analysis also encompasses statements by senior officials of various UN bodies, which often function as early warning mechanisms and indicators of the gravity of the situation on the ground, thereby providing additional political and moral legitimacy to calls for the protection of the protesters’ rights.
The analysis draws on all available sources of information: official documents and communications of international bodies and Serbian authorities; reports by international organisations; and information published in the media. It also relies on information and findings provided by non-governmental organisations. The views expressed are those of the authors and are based on the above-mentioned sources. The overview of the human rights situation is based on the reports of the relevant domestic NGOs that have been systematically monitoring human rights violations, namely Civic Initiatives (Three Freedoms under the Magnifying Glass), the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM (map of attacks on human rights defenders), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) and the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) (the SafeJournalists platform).
The analysis opted for this approach to ascertain the extent to which the UN human rights protection system has contributed to the advancement and protection of human rights in the Republic of Serbia and whether the issued recommendations have resulted in the alignment of the state authorities’ conduct with international human rights protection standards.
