U.S. State Department on human rights

Human rights in Serbia are generally respected, and the government kept making progress in the cooperation with the Hague, says a U.S. State Department report. The report also said that courts in Serbia are still subject to corruption and political influence. U.S. State Department on human rights Unlike recent years, when the Serbian authorities were mostly criticized for not having arrested the remaining two Hague indictees the latest report characterizes the cooperation as positive. The special war crimes chamber of the Belgrade District Court continued to try cases arising from crimes committed during the 1991-99 conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and the government, as assessed in the report, made a significant progress in the cooperation with neighboring countries, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and other international organizations. In a very detailed report on Serbia, however, it is pointed out that there were cases of violation of human rights, such as physical mistreatment of detainees by police, corruption in the police and the judiciary, inefficient and lengthy trials, harassment of journalists, human rights advocates, and others critical of the government, as well as cases of ethnic, religious and sex discrimination. As for Kosovo, the report says, human trafficking, cases of politically and ethnically motivated violence, inefficient judiciary and a great number of internally displaced people represent a serious problem. No progress has been made in Kosovo in terms of the return of internally displaced persons to their homes, there have been numerous incidents of violence and discrimination of women, trafficking in persons, particularly girls and women for sexual exploitation. Societal antipathy against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church was also evident, the State Department says in the report. The document also says that "Kosovo institutions did not adopt any law last year which regulates the protection of workers' rights". The average monthly pay was EUR 230 in the public sector and EUR 280 in the private sector, while the minimum wage was EUR 80, says the report.

U.S. State Department on human rights

Unlike recent years, when the Serbian authorities were mostly criticized for not having arrested the remaining two Hague indictees the latest report characterizes the cooperation as positive.

The special war crimes chamber of the Belgrade District Court continued to try cases arising from crimes committed during the 1991-99 conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and the government, as assessed in the report, made a significant progress in the cooperation with neighboring countries, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and other international organizations.

In a very detailed report on Serbia, however, it is pointed out that there were cases of violation of human rights, such as physical mistreatment of detainees by police, corruption in the police and the judiciary, inefficient and lengthy trials, harassment of journalists, human rights advocates, and others critical of the government, as well as cases of ethnic, religious and sex discrimination.

As for Kosovo, the report says, human trafficking, cases of politically and ethnically motivated violence, inefficient judiciary and a great number of internally displaced people represent a serious problem.

No progress has been made in Kosovo in terms of the return of internally displaced persons to their homes, there have been numerous incidents of violence and discrimination of women, trafficking in persons, particularly girls and women for sexual exploitation. Societal antipathy against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church was also evident, the State Department says in the report.

The document also says that "Kosovo institutions did not adopt any law last year which regulates the protection of workers' rights".

The average monthly pay was EUR 230 in the public sector and EUR 280 in the private sector, while the minimum wage was EUR 80, says the report.