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Pressure on universities

Universities became a frontline of political pressure in Serbia following the student protest movement that emerged in late 2024, with authorities retaliating against faculty who expressed public support and attempting to delegitimize the blockades through institutional and legal means.
April

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a statement expressing serious concern over the erosion of civic space in Serbia. He cited reports of voter intimidation, police raids on opposition premises during recent local elections, and growing pressure on independent journalists and media outlets. Türk called on Serbian authorities to guarantee freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and to conduct transparent, impartial investigations into human rights violations. The statement adds to a growing body of international scrutiny directed at democratic conditions in Serbia.
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The entry of members of the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP) into the Rectorate of the University of Belgrade is a precedent that raises serious constitutional and criminal procedural questions, and calls into doubt respect for the autonomy of universities guaranteed by the Constitution.
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Update
UN Human Rights Chief Warns of Serious Civic Space Erosion in Serbia
UN High Commissioner Volker Türk has raised alarm over accelerating restrictions on civic freedoms in Serbia, citing electoral irregularities, pressure on independent media, and ongoing threats against critical voices as signs of a deepening democratic crisis.
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Update
Constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of the university under threat
The entry of members of the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP) into the Rectorate of the University of Belgrade is a precedent that raises serious constitutional and criminal procedural questions, and calls into doubt respect for the autonomy of universities guaranteed by the Constitution.
Read more
Update
UN Special Rapporteurs: Communication on Pressure Against Civil Society and Journalists in Serbia
Concerns over violations of privacy and risks to personal safety
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Key Issues
Slučajevi Elections & Voting Integrity Civil Society Resilience Protests in Serbia Institutions & Oversight Media & Information Space
Other pages
Slučajevi Public Sentiment Serbia in Reports Reform Agenda Updates