Serbia / Equality body/Commissioner for Protecion of Equality/07-00-610/2018-02

Country

Serbia

Title

Serbia / Equality body/Commissioner for Protecion of Equality/07-00-610/2018-02

View full Case

Year

2018

Decision/ruling/judgment date

Friday, October 12, 2018

Incident(s) concerned/related

Other forms of hate speech
Incitement to violence or hatred

Related Bias motivation

Race/Ethnicity
Religion

Groups affected

Muslims

Court/Body type

National Human Rights Body

Court/Body

Commissioner for Protection of Equality (Poverenik za zaštitu ravnopravnosti)

Key facts of the case

Ms. Vjerica Radeta, a Vice President of the National Assembly, posted a tweet regarding the death of the president and founder of the association Mothers of Srebrenica. The tweet reads, "I've read that Hatidža Mehmetović's from the association of businesswomen from Srebrenica passed away. I am wondering who is gonna bury her, her sons or her husband?". An NGO (Belgrade Centre for Human Rights) filed a complaint against Ms. Radeta before the Commissioner for Protection of Equality. The complainant argued that the given tweet undermined Ms. Mehmetović's dignity on the basis of her personal charachteristics, Bosniak ethnicitiy and membersihip in the "Mothers of Srebrenica association".

Main reasoning/argumentation

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality was informed by the Higher Public Prosecutor in Belgrade about the ongoing criminal investigation in this case. The Commissioner found that any further acting in this case could undermine the presumption of innocence in the criminal proceeding.

Is the case related to the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia, the Racial Equality Directive?

Key issues (concepts, interpretations) clarified by the case

Not applicable since the complaint was dismissed.

Results (sanctions, outcome) and key consequences or implications of the case

The Commissioner stated that it cannot act upon the complaint due to the ongoing criminal procedure. It also asserted that the complainant will be informed about any developments in this case, when the Commissionar receives additional information from other acting authorities.

Key quotation in original language and its unofficial translation into English with reference details

(pages 1-2) "U konkretnom slučaju, posebno je relevantna odredba člana 3 Zakona o krivičnom postupku, kojom je propisano da se svako smatra nevinim sve dok se njegova krivica za krivično delo ne utvrdi pravnosnažnom odlukom suda, te da su svi državni i drugi organi i organizacije, sredstva javnog obaveštavanja, udruženja i javne ličnosti dužni da se pridržavaju ovog pravila i da svojim javnim izjavama o okrivljenom, krivičnom delu i postupku ne povređuju prava okrivljenog."

"In the concrete case, Article 3 of the Law on Criminal Procedure is of special importance, for this provision states that everyone should be considered innocent unless proven guilty by a final court’s decision, and that all state’s and other bodies and organisations, media, associations and public figures are required to comply with this principle and not to infringe onto the rights of the accused by making public statements about him, the criminal offence or the criminal proceeding."

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