On the occasion of December 1, the International Day of the Struggle against HIV/AIDS, the Commissioner reminds that people living with HIV/AIDS continue to face discrimination, stigmatization and social distancing, and that measures still need to be taken so that the members of this vulnerable social groups could have a dignified life.

The Commissioner also said that she had submitted an initiative to the Ministry of Justice, in which she pointed out that it was necessary to consider amendments to the Criminal Code, among other things, regarding the criminal offense of Transmission of HIV infection.

Namely, this criminal offense was introduced in the Criminal Code at the time when it was conditioned by unknown facts related to this virus. However, having in mind the development of medical science and innovative therapy, the question arises as to the purpose of further singling out the transmission of only this contagious disease as a separate crime.

Therefore, it is necessary to consider the amendments to the Criminal Code so that the transmission of HIV alone does not stand out as a separate crime, i.e. to change it in a way that is not stigmatizing only for people living with HIV, concludes Janković.