and to end impunity for torture and ill- funding for support services for victims of treatment by ensuring all complaints were violence until 2024. independently investigated. Several allegations of sexual abuse or FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY harassment were made by girls and women against men in senior political, educational or A draft internal affairs law was withdrawn in professional positions. While some criminal September following concerns about its investigations were opened, there were no potential impact on the rights to protest and convictions. privacy. In October, the requirement for advance notification for holding assemblies REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS was increased to 20 days under a new Over 39,675 migrants and refugees environmental law regulating noise levels. In (predominantly from Afghanistan and Syria) November police used excessive force entered Serbia, of whom 2,306 expressed against environmental protesters. their intention to seek asylum. Some 158 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION applied, yet out of 65 substantive decisions by the end of November only six people NGOs and independent media were vilified received refugee status and six subsidiary by politicians and media close to the protection, including two relatively high- government. In March, Aleksandar profile figures. Martinović, SNS parliamentary leader, Investigative journalists alleged that state accused the CRTA – an NGO monitoring the officials were complicit in smuggling parliament – of involvement in an earlier migrants. coup and attempted murder of President In January, the Constitutional Court Vučić. In August, when the government concluded that in 2017 police had intensified its campaign against NGOs and inhumanely treated 17 Afghan nationals, who independent media, over 70 organizations had already registered their intention to seek called on the Ministry of Human Rights for asylum when police pushed them back into protection. In October-November NGO Bulgaria. Women in Black’s offices were twice spray- In mid-December UNHCR, the UN refugee painted with misogynist and nationalist agency, reported 210 pushbacks into North graffiti. Macedonia from Serbia, (probably an JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA WORKERS underestimate) and 27,892 collective In March, five media organizations left the expulsions from EU countries (Hungary, Working Group for the Security and Croatia and Romania) and BiH into Serbia. Protection of Journalists following RIGHT TO HOUSING government-orchestrated campaigns against independent media, including accusations Following a complaint by the A11 Initiative, that the Crime and Corruption Reporting an NGO, and six Romani people forcibly Network (KRIK) was complicit with organized evicted in 2019 from an informal settlement crime. Four former state security officials in Vinca, Belgrade, the European Bank for were convicted in December for their part in Reconstruction and Development agreed to the murder of journalist Slavko Čuruvija in facilitate negotiations with the city authorities 1999. to ensure their rights, including to affordable VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS alternative housing. In March, a homeless couple successfully Thirty women were killed, 20 through family appealed against a fine imposed for breaking or partner violence; five deaths were still to the Covid-19 curfew. During the pandemic, be investigated. NGOs expressed concern shelters were closed and some homeless that the new Law on Gender Equality delayed people were sentenced to 50 days’ imprisonment. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 323