On June 2, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of the Serbian-Chinese Friendship Society FDH against Serbia that the state violated Articles 11 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Serbian-Chinese Friendship Society FDH is an organization based in Belgrade, and the case relates to the applicant's attempt to hold public protests in Belgrade against the alleged persecution of the philosophical movement Falun Gong in China, that is, spiritual practices rooted in Buddhist tradition, it was announced from of the Council of Europe.
The Serbian authorities banned the protests, citing public safety as the reason. The gatherings coincided with an official visit by the Chinese president on June 17 and 18, 2016, which could have led to counter-demonstrations and clashes.
Falun Gong is a group that promotes a Buddhist school of meditation, and its activists have been persecuted in China since 1999.
Speculative threat
Referring to Article 11 of the European Convention, which refers to freedom of association, the applicant specifically claims that the official assessment of the threat to public security was only speculative and that there was even a risk of counter-demonstrations, which was not a reason to ban peaceful protest.
Referring to Article 13 of the Convention, which refers to the right to an effective legal remedy, the applicant complains that judicial review procedures before administrative courts and constitutional appeal procedures were not effective legal remedies for his complaints.
The applicant has not made any claim for just satisfaction.
Source: Phonet
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