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and Other Forms of Torture and Fight against Impunity” was also held. In addition to the
participants in the Forum, the conference was also attended by representatives of the relevant
ministers and of Committees of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, as well as courts
and prosecution offices.
In 2014, the Protector of Citizens continued his cooperation with members of the Southeast
Europe NPM Network. In May 2014, a representative of the Serbian NPM took part in the
Network meeting titled “Methodology of Writing NPM Reports” held in Ljubljana (Slovenia). In
October 2014, NPM representatives attended a special training session titled “Monitoring of
Psychiatric Institutions in the Context of Protection from Torture and Inhuman and Degrading
Treatment” held in Skopje (Macedonia).
In February 2014, the Protector of Citizens, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Belgrade
Centre for Human Rights held a press conference titled “Challenges faced by the Republic of
Serbia in the Field of Asylum and Migrations.” In March 2014, NPM representatives took part in
the conference “Situation in the Field of Mental Health and Measures taken in the
Deinstitutionalisation Process”, organised by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights and the
International Assistance Network. On the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture,
the 26th of June, the Committee of the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights organised a press
conference titled “The Role of Health Care Services in the Prevention of and Punishment for
Torture“, in which the Deputy Protector of Citizens in charge of this field and a representative
of the NPM presented the health care situation in prisons. In September 2014, Group 484, the
Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy held a conference
titled “System of Asylum and Migrations”, which was addressed by the Deputy Protector of
Citizens in charge of this field and a representative of the NPM.
In 2014 the Serbian NPM received study visits from representatives of the Georgian NPM, the
Public Monitoring Commissions (PMC) of Russia and the Ukrainian NPM. During those study
visits, the Serbian NPM presented his work and visited places of detention together with the
representatives of these monitoring mechanisms. The Serbian NPM was also visited by
representatives of the NPMs, public authorities and non-governmental organisations of
Montenegro and Albania.
2. Prohibition of Torture
2.1. National legislation
The Constitution of the Republic of Serbia10 guarantees human dignity and inviolability of
physical and mental integrity and explicitly prohibits abuse11.
Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.
No one shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment12.
Official Gazette of RS, No. 98/2006.
Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, Articles 23, 24 and 25.
12 Taken from Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 7 of the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights and Article 3 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms.
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