Physical attacks, verbal threats, harassment, destruction of property, hate speech, extremist messages, historical revisionism, and Ustasha symbols in public spaces were part of the daily routine last year for members of the Serb national minority in Croatia, according to the latest report by the Human Rights House.
BY: Tena Erceg / Novosti
Human Rights House Zagreb has published its annual report which shows that during 2021 not only have the state and protection of human rights in Croatia not improved but that they are in many respects worse than before.
In the area of international instruments, laws, and policies, the only progress is the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, while the same has not happened with the (revised) European Social Charter and part of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
There has been no progress in adopting public policies for the protection of human rights and strengthening the independence of the Ombudsman. It should also be noted that the adoption of a national plan for the development of civil society has been pending for six years.
When it comes to freedom of expression and media freedom, the report states that domestic courts are still often inclined to rule in favour of politicians who sue citizens for insults, to neglect the democratic context of debates on topics of public interest, thus violating citizens’ freedom of expression.
On the other hand, hate speech was ubiquitous in public space last year, while in the area of media freedom, the biggest problems are insufficient political independence of the public service, insufficient transparency of media ownership, lack of an independent media council, and frequent lawsuits against journalists with high monetary damages with the aim of censoring, intimidating, and silencing critics of the government.
When it comes to the judiciary, the report cites shortening court proceedings as the only notable example of progress, but in 2021 the vast majority of the 416 lawsuits against the Republic of Croatia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) still referred to precisely the duration of court proceedings and inefficiency of the judiciary. The new Law on the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest is assessed as a step backwards in terms of transparent and fair action of public officials, as well as the ability of the Commission for the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest to perform its primary function. There has also been no progress in improving the free legal aid system.
No progress has also been noted when it comes to prosecuting war crimes. A number of war crime hearings have not been scheduled or were delayed. In terms of transitional justice and dealing with the past, the most prominent problems are detected in remembrance politics at official commemorations of Serb civilian victims, while statements by high-ranking officials continue to glorify war criminals, they restore their decorations, and “muralise” them in public spaces.
In the area of the right to an adequate standard of living, the organization emphasises the unequal availability of social services, especially for vulnerable and marginalized groups, reduced number of beneficiaries of guaranteed minimum benefits, lack of comprehensive housing policy, and extremely slow and inefficient rehabilitation of earthquake-affected areas in Zagreb and the Sisak-Moslavina County.
The right to health is threatened by the unavailability and continuous reduction of the number of doctors and nurses in the hospital system and outpatient clinics, and the rural and island populations, as well as women and children, are particularly affected by this,
The decline in the quality of education has been particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the participation rate in early childhood education is still among the lowest in the EU, and no progress has been made in the development and implementation of civic education.
In 2021, a significant negative impact of the epidemic on women’s rights was observed, primarily in terms of the increase in gender-based violence, and in the exercise of the right to reproductive health. The representation of women in government bodies is still extremely low, and Croatia has been without an elemental strategic document for gender equality for six years now.
When it comes to the rights of children and young people, the report states that every fifth child in Croatia lives at risk of poverty, increased mental health problems, increased domestic, peer,
and sexual violence. Another issue is the lack of an umbrella policy for young people.
The elderly, especially women, also face high levels of risk of poverty, and conditions in homes for the elderly and infirm are inadequate.
In addition to the usual problems in the area of healthcare and access to infrastructure, people with disabilities were particularly affected last year by the anti-epidemic measures, i.e., disproportionate isolation and travel bans, and no progress has been made in the area of the rights of the homeless.
When it comes to the rights of LGBTQAIP+ people, in the past year there has been an increase in hate crimes, hate speech and violence, and discrimination in the field of work and employment.
Refugee rights are one of the most endangered rights in the entire EU, including Croatia, and the Protecting Rights at Borders initiative recorded 8,812 cases of illegal cross-border expulsions or pushbacks from Croatia in 2021. Last year, a report by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe was published, in which refugees and migrants testified about the torture and inhumane treatment of the Croatian police. In November, the ECtHR reached a verdict in the death of Afghan girl Madina Hussiny, upholding the violation of the right to life, the violation of the prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment, the ban on collective expulsion, the right to security and personal liberty, and the right to individual claims.
Finally, there has been no progress in the area of national minorities’ right to protection. This right does not exist in the implementation of the Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities, and national minorities, especially the Roma minority, continue to be the target of hate speech and stereotypical media coverage. Discrimination against the Roma in employment and access to services is omnipresent, much like inadequate living conditions and widespread poverty.
In 2021, many Serb returnees continued to live in underdeveloped and isolated areas, in poor living conditions, and without the possibility of exercising their property rights. Physical attacks, verbal threats, harassment, destruction of property, hate speech, extremist messages, historical revisionism, and Ustasha symbols in public spaces were part of the daily routine last year for members of the Serb national minority in Croatia.
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