Since the president National Assembly Ana Brnabic met on Wednesday (July 23) with the director ODIHR- and Marija Telalian, the Serbian Parliament issued a statement in which, among other things, it is stated that Telalian thanked Brnabić "for his personal involvement in encouraging political dialogue".
However, ODIHR issued its own statement a day later, which is not nearly as complimentary for the President of the Assembly as the Serbian Parliament claimed.
"An active and engaged civil society is important for any healthy democracy and deserves support and recognition. We encourage the authorities to respect the obligations of the OSCE shared by all member states, especially in the protection of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly," said Telalian, according to the official website of osce.org.
In yesterday's announcement from the National Assembly, it is stated that "Director Taelalian assessed the meeting as very significant, especially in the context of intensive work on the implementation of ODIHR recommendations, which, as she pointed out, contributes to the improvement of the electoral process and the strengthening of democratic institutions."
"Director Telalian thanked President Brnabić for her personal engagement in encouraging political dialogue and emphasized that the democratic process requires the cooperation of all actors — the government, the opposition and the civil sector. She reiterated that ODIHR remains a partner in Serbia, providing support not only in the field of electoral processes but also in strengthening democratic institutions in a broader sense," it said.
However, today's ODIHR statement says:
"During the meetings with Ms. Brnabić and others, the director of ODIHR emphasized that public trust in ongoing electoral reforms does not depend only on technical improvements, but also on institutional independence, political balance and inclusive representation, including the opposition and civil society. Electoral reforms are always part of broader efforts to strengthen public trust in democratic institutions and the rule of law."
Obligation of authorities to facilitate peaceful gatherings
It is also added that all OSCE member states, including Serbia, have undertaken to respect the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, both in law and in practice.
All of them recognized the key role of civil society in promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
"Since the collapse of the railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, when 16 people died, more than 20.000 peaceful rallies have been held in Serbia. Although most of them passed without incident, there were reports of violence against peaceful demonstrators," the ODIHR statement said.
"The authorities have an obligation to facilitate peaceful gatherings, including spontaneous and unregistered ones. The use of force by law and order authorities should remain a last resort, and any accusation of unjustified or excessive use of force must be promptly and impartially investigated in accordance with international standards," the statement reads.
It is added that "during the meeting with Ms. Brnabić and other officials, the director of ODIHR emphasized that public trust in the ongoing electoral reform depends not only on technical improvements, but also on institutional independence, political balance and inclusive representation, including the opposition and civil society."
"Electoral reform is always part of a broader effort to strengthen public confidence in democratic institutions and the rule of law," states ODIHR.
