No. 07-00-288/2016-02   Date: August 25, 2016

OPINION

The opinion has been issued in the procedure acting upon the complaint of the Association of Citizens E, filed against the Cultural Center of Kruševac, for discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. The complaint states that the Association of Citizens E has organized many debates in the cities of Serbia called “No one is free until we are all  free“, within the project „LGBT Caravan“. Although the rental of space in the Cultural Center of Kruševac has been negotiated for holding a debate in that city, the director of that public institution has refused to provide such service to the Association of Citizens E. The complainants deem that they have suffered discrimination in the aforesaid way on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. In the statement of the director of Cultural Center of Kruševac, allegations stipulated in the complaint have been characterized as groundless, followed by the explanation that the relevant space in the Cultural Center of Kruševac was not leased due to inability to provide technical support for conducting a debate, as well as due to the fact that the space of media center was occupied. In the course of the proceedings, the Cultural Center of Kruševac has not given any evidence that it refused to provide a space rental service to the Association of Citizens E. for any objective reason whatsoever. Bearing in mind that the complainant has proven the likelihood of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, by implementing the rules of burden of proof redistribution, the act of discrimination in provision of public services has been ascertained. Therefore, The Commissioner for Protection of Equality has issued the opinion that the Cultural Center of Kruševac has violated the provisions prohibiting discrimination, and made a recommendation to this public institution to address a letter of apology to the Association of Citizens E, not to violate anti-discrimination regulations in future, to contribute to development of tolerance and the society of true equality, as well as to attach this opinion on its bulletin board.

Commissioner for the Protection of Equality

Brankica Janković

Complaint filed by E. Against CC Kruševac for discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in area of providing services