Brussels, 30/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 27 September, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle regretted the decision of the Serbian authorities not to authorise the Pride Parade, which was due to take place in Belgrade the following day. This was the third consecutive year that the parade was banned on security grounds (see EUROPE 10703). “It is a missed opportunity to show respect for fundamental rights”, Füle stated in a press release. The Commission expects the Serbian government to take “all necessary steps to investigate threats of violence directed against the parade and take necessary measure to ensure that the rights to freedom of assembly and expression are fully respected in the future”, Füle added.
The European Commission will continue to support Serbia's efforts in developing a climate of tolerance and respect conducive to every citizen being treated without discrimination, Füle stated. Reiterating that values such as the freedom of assembly and expression are part of the core foundations on which the EU project is built, Füle said that it is “particularly important in the context of Serbia's accession negotiations, in the framework of which this week the screening of Chapter 23 on judiciary and fundamental rights was successfully held” on 25-26 September.
The Serbian authorities decided to cancel all demonstrations on 28 September after several ultra-nationalist organisations called gatherings close to the route of the Pride Parade. The last Gay Pride Parade in 2010 gave way to violence. (CG/transl.fl)