Helsinki Committee For Human Rights in Serbia

Zmaj Jovina 7/I,
11000 Beograd

tel: (+381 11) 637-542, 637-492, 637-914, 637-116
fax: 636-429
e-mail: biserkos@EUnet.yu
web: www.helsinki.org.yu
Kontakt: Sonja Biserko, predsednik

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia was established in September 1994. It is a professional non-governmental organization aimed at promoting the rule of law and protecting human rights, systematically monitoring human rights violations in Serbia. The primary aim of the Helsinki Committee is to establish to what extent the state complies with the regulations on human rights incorporated in the CSCE Final Act adopted in Helsinki in 1975. The Helsinki Committee is a member of The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Co-operation

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia co-operates with all national Helsinki Committees. Additionally, it has established co-operation with Lawyers Committee for Human Rights in New York, Human Rights Watch/Helsinki in New York, UN Center for Human Rights in Geneva, OCSE institutions for human rights, Council of Europe Directorate for Human Rights, Article XIX in London, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, UNHCR, International Red Cross, Amnesty International, International Human Rights Law Group in Washington, Pax Christi International etc. The Helsinki Committee continuously keeps in touch with foreign diplomatic missions in Serbia. The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia is a full member of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), seated in Vienna, Austria. IHF has consultative status with the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

Activities

Activities of Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia can be divided in three different parts:

• Realization of the projects connected with human rights topics;
• Publishing reports about human rights issues in Serbia;
• Publishing activity.

Projects

• Return of refugees – in February 1998 started the realization of the project called "I want to go home", with an idea to help refugees to return in their homes in Croatia. During that year, around 7500 refugees from Croatia passed through "I want to go home" office and 746 refugees returned to Croatia through direct mediation of Committee. In 1999, despite of NATO intervention, the interest in returning rises up to 18600 people.
• Considering the changes in Croatia after elections, as well as present situation in Serbia, number of people who want to return in Croatia is constantly increasing. Therefore, in the future Committee plans to open new offices "I want to go home" in FRY, especially in the towns where exist Republic of Croatia consular sections.
• Co-operation with the International War Crimes Tribunal – The Committee provides a Tribunal with press coverage of Tribunal’s work and other information helpful for Tribunal’s purposes.
• Legal aid to victims if human rights violations – Legal office of Helsinki Committee maintains legal advice and help to all victims of human rights violations; help is offered on different cases such as illegal mobilization, loss of citizenship, ethnic and religious discrimination, illegal loss of jobs etc. The Committee also works on monitoring of legal systems of Serbia and FRY. It also works on proposals for new laws and makes analyses of already adopted laws.
• Ethnic minorities – The Committee regularly monitor the respect of human rights of ethnic minorities in Serbia, and inform Serbian and international public about these issues through reports. The Committee plans to organize round table on minorities in Serbia in near future
• Campaign against anti-personal mines – In 1998 the Committee started with campaign against anti-personal mines. During 1999 the Committee organized two round tables (in Podgorica and Novi Sad) connected with this issue.
• Confidence building measures between Serbs and Albanians – the project was launched after Ulcinj meeting in 1997. The idea was to open a dialogue between two sides, which would help long term solutions and decreasing tensions.
• Helsinki Charter – A monthly magazine of Helsinki Committee, which covers all the issues the Committee, works on.

Reports

Helsinki Committee, according to its primary aims, works on human rights issues through statements, reports, organizing round tables, etc. These issues include individual human rights, minority rights, discrimination on all levels, conscience objection, free expression, independence of judicial system etc. The Committee has so far produced reports on respect of rights of all national minorities in Serbia, refugee status in FRY, human rights violence in Serbia as well as reports on situation in media, University and legal system of Serbia and Yugoslavia.

Publishing activity

Helsinki Committee for Human Right in Serbia publishes a monthly magazine "Helsinki charter". Beside that, the Committee has also published several books. Some of them are: "Lex, whistles and lies" – Chronology of Civic and Student protest, 1997; "Radicalization of the Serbian Society" - Collection of Documents, 1997; Round Table "Serbo-Croatian Relations and the Problem of Refugees", 1997; "Serbian-Albanian Dialogue", 1997 - follow-up of the Ulcinj Conference on the Kosovo issue - collection of speeches, "Self-determination from Autonomy to Secession", ed. Milenko Markovic, 1998; "Kosovo and International Community", 1998.