Ethnic Discrimination in the Police Force

Humanitarian Law Center

On July 25, 2005, the Police Department of Becej, Vojvodina, called in Bashkim Krueziu to take his statement and the information he had to give on a serioes of offences committed in his neighbourhood. After his formal statement, the �informal� part of the interrogation started, during which he was repeatedly insulted for his nationality, his privacy and dignity gravely violated.

The Police was very much interested in his reasons to live in Becej and not Prishtina, �where he belonged�. They also wanted to know what was he doing in Becej instead of �returning down there�, as well as whether he was aware what might happen to him because of his name and nationality. Finally, they also wanted to know why was he married a Serb woman and had children with her.

The Humanitarian Law Centre protests the unacceptable conduct of the authorities towards the citizens and any action that carries the mark of ethnic or any other discrimination. HLC also reminds the Ministry of the Interior of the principle of equality of all citizens in front of the Law, regardless of their ethnic and linguistic background and religious affiliation, and emphasizes that all forms of discrimination are illegal, under both international and national law and legislation.

�In the state where the rule of the Law dominates over all forms of discrimination and arbitrary action, the legislation is applied equally for all citizens, and such a conduct is obligatory for all institutions of the state. The events of this type cause suspicion whether the state and the society in general have reached the level of civil and minority rights and freedoms enjoyed in the democratic world�, said HLC.