A young female protestor blows a whistle while holding a cardboard sign from Amnesty International that reads ‘Free media cannot be silenced’ near the Turkish embassy in Berlin, Germany, on May 3, 2017. Photo: EPA/CLEMENS BILAN

A new proposed legislation in Serbia is designed to permit authorities to utilize both public and private CCTV systems along with facial recognition technology for the remote identification of citizens, escalating worries regarding widespread surveillance during public gatherings or protests.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the assembly in the Serb-led entity of Republika Srpska has enacted a law that criminalizes defamation, imposing fines of up to 1,500 euros.

Romania’s legislature has approved a law that heightens criminal penalties for offenses such as “outrage” against public officials and for “disturbing public order and peace,” among other violations.

In Hungary, some bookstores have been fined for offering books concerning homosexuality in their youth sections, as well as for not selling them in sealed packaging.

These actions represent some of the concerning trends identified by rights organization Amnesty International in its recent annual report titled “State of the World’s Human Rights,” released on Wednesday.

Amnesty International asserts that globally, freedoms are under siege while authoritarian practices appear to be escalating. Currently, the proportion of people living in democratic nations has reached a historic low since 1985.

Threats Against Journalists and Legal Actions

The Balkan region appears to align with the global trend of increasing authoritarianism, albeit at a different pace.

According to the report, journalists in the Balkans frequently become victims of this rising authoritarianism, facing smear campaigns, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), or even physical violence in various nations.

In Serbia, independent journalists and activists experience “threats, vilification, and punitive civil actions,” the report highlights. Meanwhile, in Albania, journalists are subjected to hate speech, physical attacks, and even gun violence.

The report also recounts an incident where Tirana’s Mayor Erion Veliaj labeled a female journalist as a “contract killer” following her investigation into his involvement in a corruption case. In March, a tragedy struck when a security guard was shot dead after unknown assailants targeted the offices of Top Channel, the largest private TV station in Albania. Authorities have yet to identify the attackers or reveal their motives.

The Journalists’ Association in Bosnia reported a rise in attacks on journalists, with over 70 incidents recorded in 2023, though only a handful have been investigated. Journalists in Kosovo have also experienced heightened animosity.

In North Macedonia, recent legal reforms on civil liability for insult and defamation have reduced fines imposed on journalists. However, this positive change has not significantly diminished the rising trend of SLAPPs. In Croatia, at least 945 SLAPPs, primarily initiated by public officials, are currently facing journalists.

The report notes that press freedom has improved in Montenegro, as the Appeals Court overturned convictions against investigative journalist Jovo Martinović, who was wrongly imprisoned for drug trafficking.

Concerns Regarding Gender-Based Violence

Gender-based violence remains a grave issue in Serbia, with 27 women victims of feminicide reported, along with 12 murders of women by their partners or family members in Albania, and six such cases in Kosovo.

The rights of the LGBTI community are under increasing threat from religious groups in Serbia and North Macedonia; Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has publicly stated his refusal to endorse the Law on Same-Sex Unions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been marked as one of the most hostile places for LGBTI individuals globally, while Albania has reportedly made “no progress” in advancing LGBTI rights.

Refugee Rights Under Threat

The report underscores the Balkan region’s escalating violations of refugee rights alongside the long-standing issue of Greece prosecuting aid workers who assist migrants. Additionally, around 35,000 arrivals have been registered, with an estimated 2,500 left stranded.

A controversial deal struck between Albania’s PM Edi Rama and Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni involves establishing a camp in Albania to house refugees rescued at sea in the Mediterranean, raising new alarms.

Once a country that exported many asylum seekers, Albania has agreed to permit Italy to send thousands of migrants there monthly, with facilities funded by Italian taxpayers.

This initiative, projected to cost approximately 800 million euros, is seen as a political maneuver by PM Meloni to assure her right-wing supporters that she is combating illegal immigration – despite the fact that only 3,000 migrants will be processed in Albania each month, a minor fraction of the total arrivals, and many will still need to be moved to Italy.

Human rights organizations and other stakeholders have raised alarms regarding the potential implications of this arrangement on the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, particularly focusing on the risks of arbitrary and automatic detention.