Nearly seven years ago, six-year-old Madina Hussiny tragically lost her life, and justice for her death remains elusive. Despite a clear judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Croatia has failed to adequately respond to demands for accountability and compensation for the Hussiny family. The Centre for Peace Studies and the Human Rights House Zagreb have alerted the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to serious deficiencies in Croatia’s implementation of the judgment.

The Centre for Peace Studies (CPS), in collaboration with a lawyer, has today submitted an appeal to the Municipal Misdemeanor Court in Zagreb against the verdict that resulted in the long-time activist against Putin and human rights defender Vladislav Arinichev spending 15 days in detention. Arinichev protested in Zagreb against the life-threatening actions of the Security and Intelligence Agency. After being released from prison, Arinichev was again deprived of liberty as Croatia denied his asylum request, and he has been on a hunger strike for five days in the reception centre for foreigners in Trilj.

On 24 June, with support from the Centre for Peace Studies, the lawyers of young Madina’s family submitted a new complaint to the Constitutional Court.

Media freedom continues to stand perilously close to breaking point in many EU countries and in some, it needs to be almost completely revived, Liberties’ Media Freedom Report 2024 finds. 

The rule of law in the EU continued to deteriorate in 2023, as governments further weakened legal and democratic checks and balances, according to the newly published Liberties Rule of Law Report 2024. 

Today, on 18th April 2023, a new lawsuit was filed at the Constitutional Court of Croatia, for an ineffective and inadequate investigation into a pushback case, by a group of refugees who were victims of a particularly brutal pushback from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in October 2020 which included severe violence and sexual assault. 

Exactly two weeks ago, on 17 January, the European Court of Human Rights confirmed in the case of Daraibou v. Croatia that Croatia had violated the right to life of young men who were detained in the premises of a border police station, that is, who were in the hands of the Croatian authorities.

The illegal entry of police officers into the premises of the environmental association Zelena akcija/FoE Croatia in Zagreb, which took place on Monday evening, is inadmissible and represents a gross violation of police authority. FoE Croatia, the Center for Peace Studies and Gong will request an investigation from the competent institutions!

On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, the SOLIDAR Foundation, of which the Center for Peace Studies is a member, emphasizes the importance of peace education, especially in the current political situation.

The Grand Chamber Panel of the European Court of Human Rights rejected the referral request of the Republic of Croatia in the case of little Madina’s family. Thus, the judgement that the Republic of Croatia violated Madina's right to life became final.