Open letter to the highest representatives of government in relation to forceful eviction of Romas in New Belgrade

On the occasion of 47 forced evictions of Roma families that have lived in informal settlements in the block 67 in New Belgrade, 39 non-governmental organizations addressed the President of Serbia, the President and Vice President of Government of the Republic of Serbia, as well as the Mayor of Belgrade with the request for an urgent location of suitable alternative accommodation and to restrain from the statements that deny human rights to Roma citizens. After the eviction and demolishment of their improvised houses, 128 Romas were left on the street, 84 of them children. After four days and few attempts, these citizens are still without any kind of alternative accommodation.

Until now, only offered alternative accommodation was containers in Boljevci (municipality Surcin). Roma families accepted this temporary alternative accommodation, and three containers were provided. After demolition and arson attempt, citizens of Boljevac openly threatened that they will prevent residence of Romas in their neighborhood. Mainly because of open hatred of citizens from Boljevac , Roma families asked for another alternative location.
In the letter it is stated that it is unacceptable practice to forgo decision just because of publicly expressed racial prejudice or open racism of part of majority population in any part of Belgrade. These protests were, in recent years, organized in Zemun Polje, Kamedin, New Belgrade, Ovci and Batajnica. Open or hidden racism against citizens of Roma nationality has never been punished, while at the same time, from 2000th till today, evictions and demolitions of Roma settlements were always done with full assistance of police.

Having in mind that Serbia is a member country of Pact of economical, social and cultural rights that guaranties right on residence, including alternative accommodation in cases of eviction, we expect you to everything in your power, so that all 47 families would receive roof over their heads without further delay. We expect citizens affected with this and any future eviction to be pre-accommodated, in the way specified by General commentaries 4 and 7 of Committee for Economical , social and cultural rights. Eventual incompliance of formal conditions like residence cannot be a reason for denial of human rights.

in the letter, it is asked from highest representatives of government it is asked to publicly condemn all statement that deny Romas a basic human right on freedom of habitation that is guarantied by article 39 of Constitution of Republic of Serbia, because there is no legal ground that forbids any citizen of Serbia to reside or populate in Belgrade or any other city. State must respect wish of any citizen to come and stay in Belgrade, without regard to ethnicity. Also, eventual immoral or illegal actions of one Roma citizen , cannot be excuse for negation of rights for alternative accommodation. At the same time, the newest statements of Belgrade city officials that that only women and children will be accommodated, while men will have to get on their own, represent violation of European standards of respect of private, family life and home that is guarantied by Article 8 of European convention for protection of human rights and basic freedoms.

Having in mind that recently adopted Law against discrimination comes in effect today, and that tomorrow on the 8th of April is World day of Romas, we expect from City of Belgrade and Government of Republic of Serbia:
In regards to eviction of Roma families from Block 67
1. Full regard to right on habitation, in a way that all families would be provided alternative accommodation, where they could move immediately (in accordance with General commentaries 4 and 7 of Committee for Economical , social and cultural rights),
2. Minimal infrastructural conditions are provided, like water, electricity and other on the chosen location,
3. Replacement of value of destroyed property, and emergency financial, medical and humanitarian aid to each family regardless of the possession or lack of documents or any other circumstance,
4. Punishment of all open or hidden acts of racism and/or spreading of ethnic/national hatred and intolerance. Police must respond, in order to protect the citizens of Roma nationality, but also to ensure the full implementation of the decision on the alternative accommodation,
5. Restraint from statement that denies the right to freedom of movement and habitation, which is guaranteed by Article 39 Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. Expulsion from the territory of a city does not exist in the legal system of the Republic of Serbia, and there are no legal prerequisites to limiting the freedom of habitation,
6. Restraint from the statement that denies the right to housing by dividing Roma community in "better" (integrated) and "worse" (who live in illegal settlements), as well as the practice of equalization of all families with one of the representatives that is not affected with eviction. Also, the state should stop with statements about how Roma sell or abuse their children. Such statements are further encouraging racial prejudice among other citizens.

In regards to future evictions of Roma families

1. Adoption and implementation of clear strategies for cases of evictions from illegal settlements,
2. Leaving a reasonable time and legal means to residents of the settlement in cases of the adoption of each individual decision on eviction,
3. Introduction of settlement population with location and type of alternative accommodation. Location must be accessible and adequate for living,
4. Punishment of all racist incidents and/or hate speech in the implementation of decisions on alternative accommodation,
5. Full respect for human dignity, the right to home and family as the basic human rights of every citizen of Serbia,
6. Provision of security and freedom from harassment in the location where the alternative accommodation is offered,
7. Restraint from the denial of basic human and minority rights of the Roma community, as well as acceptance and resolution of specific problems of the Roma population in Serbia, and foremost: the lack of basic documents, education, housing, employment and discrimination in access to public places,
8. Active cooperation with all initiatives which aim to improve the position of the Roma (e.g. the Roma Decade), and provide assistance to local and international organizations, and not the full rejection of international assistance in the statements of representatives of government.

Letter was sent from:

Žene u crnom
Centar za mir i razvoj demokratije
Centar za unapređivanje pravnih studija
Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji
Inicijativa mladih za ljudska prava
Komitet pravnika za ljudska prava
Queeria, centar za promociju kulture nenasilja i različitosti
List Republika
Socijaldemokratska unija
Urban In, Novi Pazar
Škart
Švedski Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava
Gej-Strejt Alijansa
Labris – organizacija za lezbejska ljudska prava
Udruženje studenata sa hendikepom
Inicijativa za inkluziju VelikiMali
Gayten LGBT
Anti-trafiking centar
Odbor za ljudska prava Valjevo
Odbor za ljudska prava Niš
Odbor za ljudska prava Negotin
Vojvođanski centar za ljudska prava
Građanski forum Novi Pazar
Odbor za ljudska prava Vranje
Beogradski centar za ljudska prava
Fond za humanitarno pravo
Rekonstrukcija Ženski fond
Glas razlike
Udruženje Roma „Oaza“
Demokratsko udruženje Roma
Romska partija
Biro za kulturu
Savez antifašista Srbije
Socijaldemokratska unija
Grupa Pravo na grad
Kontekst
Žene za mir Leskovac
Forca, Požega
Građanska čitaonica Libergraf, Užice

Za više informacija obratite se Goranu Miletiću, Švedski Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava, (063/250-433) ili na e-mail: goran@shc.se