The right to human dignity is inviolable, and the protection of physical and psychological integrity is a prerequisite for life and the realization of our full potential as humans, emphasized the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, at the discussion of interested parties: Access to Justice for LGBTI+ persons in the Republic of Serbia. The discussion was held in the House of Human Rights in the organization of ERA – Alliance for Equal Rights of LGBTI Persons and Da se Zna!, with the support of the Council of Europe. At the assembly, the “You Are Heard” platform was presented, where members of the LBGT+ community can safely report incidents caused by hate and get the necessary support.

The Commissioner stressed that Serbia has an excellent legal framework for protecting LGBTI persons against discrimination, which aligns with international standards, and provides complete protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender characteristics. Still, the small number of reported cases of violation of these rights does not reflect the actual state of affairs. Social distance toward people of a different sexual orientation is very pronounced. Therefore, the question should be posed whether we as a society are doing enough to encourage our LGBT fellow citizens to seek justice and report discrimination, said Janković.

In her speech, the Commissioner emphasized the importance of the cooperation of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality with civil society organizations and thanked the Prosecutor’s Office for its dedicated work on the plan of suppressing crimes motivated by hate. Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Gordana Čomić, representative of the Protector of Citizens, Jelena Stojanović, as well as representatives of ERA, Da se Zna! and the OSCE Mission in Serbia participated in the discussion, and Tobias Flessenkemper, from the Office of the Council of Europe, also spoke at the opening.