ILGA: Bosnia and Herzegovina must guarantee freedom of assembly and expression for LGBT people. Police must provide security of LGBT events

Received by email from the International Lesbian Gay Association
ILGA-Europe’s statement
2.10.8 Brussels

ILGA-Europe is deeply concerned with the news about the Queer Festival in Sarajevo: attacks on the participants of the events, attacks on the office of LGBT organisation, lack of police protection, death threats to the organisers of the festival.

Freedom of assembly and expression is one of the fundamental principles of a democratic society. The European Court of Human Rights has confirmed that freedom of assembly cannot be denied to events organised by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people or to those supporting equality for LGBT people. Similarly, the European Court of Human Rights repeatedly ruled that freedom of expression is not limited to the ideas which are received favourably by the majority of society. Moreover, the European Court of Human rights ruled that a state has a positive duty to protect the participants of public events.

ILGA-Europe is calling on Bosnia and Herzegovinian authorities to immediately ensure the security of LGBT activists and to fully respect international human rights standards related to freedom of assembly and expression.

ILGA-Europe is also calling on the European Union and the Council of Europe to continue monitoring the situation with regards to the rights to assembly and expression for LGBT people in Bosnia Herzegovina.