16 Sep Europride „cancelled“ in Belgrade: Restrictions on right to freedom of assembly
The Serbian government should immediately rescind its ban on EuroPride events scheduled for Belgrade in September 2022, Human Rights Watch said on September, 01, 2022. Instead, the authorities should work with organizers to ensure adequate safety for participants.
On August 27, President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the government is cancelling EuroPride, a regional event promoting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people that Serbia was poised to host from September 12 to 18, with a march on September 17. The president acknowledged that the move is a “violation of minority rights,” but justified his decision because of threats from right wing groups to disrupt the event and rising border tensions with Kosovo. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, a lesbian who is the first woman to hold the position, supported the cancellation, saying, “the first inviolable thing is to ensure peace and stability in the country.”
The government announcement followed a demonstration by thousands of people on August 27 in Belgrade opposing the Europride events, with slogans such as, “save our children and our family.” “The Serbian government’s decision to cancel EuroPride is a shameful surrender to, and implicit sanctioning of, bigotry and threats of unlawful violence,” said Graeme Reid, director of the LGBT rights program at Human Rights Watch. “Street protests by far-right groups and religious entities have already taken place. Now Serbia has an obligation to also ensure the safety and dignity of EuroPride participants.”
Organizers have indicated that they have not received formal notification of a ban and intend to hold the event as planned. “President Vucic cannot cancel someone else’s event,” said Kristine Garina, president of the European Pride Organizers Association. The Serbian government, after banning Pride events between 2011 and 2013, has allowed parades in Belgrade since 2014, which have been peaceful. The Constitutional Court of Serbia had already revoked such decisions.
Serbian authorities’ justification for cancelling EuroPride 2022 bears a striking resemblance to Russia’s arguments, for banning marches by LGBT people on grounds that they could lead to violent clashes with counterdemonstrators. The European Court of Human Rights struck down that argument in Alekseyev v. Russia in 2010 as a violation of the right to peaceful assembly.
References from the official website of the Human Rights Watch