Publications

We are publishing this report four years after Human Rights House Zagreb prepared the first thematic report on human rights defenders in Croatia in 2018. The report identifies key issues and challenges faced by human rights defenders in Croatia at the time, such as the lack of public support from politicians and officials, public discreditation and delegitimization, exposure to threats and intimidation, criminalization of human rights work and SLAPP suits, obstructed communication with public authorities and the collapse of intersectoral cooperation, limiting the freedom of assembly through restrictive municipal regulations, weak representation of human rights issues in the media, delays in tenders, the growing administrative burden, and the lack of public funding for long-term programs of civil society organizations in the field of protection and promotion of human rights.

Hate speech is often used as a tool to target different vulnerable groups, especially minorities, immigrants and refugees. It causes their alienation and exclusion which leads to marginalisation. Such narratives weaken democracy and strengthen the positions of far right and radical right populists and Eurosceptics. This report aims to analyse the hate speech phenomenon in Croatia and looks at the links between Euroscepticism and hate speech. The authors map the levels of intolerance and hate speech among the general population and young people in particular. The report analyses the policies and law that address hate speech, outlines trends, targets, and the actors of hate speech. The report also maps the presence of Euroscepticism and outlines parallels between Eurosceptic discourse and incitement to hatred. It also maps different initiatives which can be seen as constructive practice in the fight against hate speech and different forms of intolerance. Finally, the report lists conclusions and recommendations on measures for combating hate speech in Croatia.

Taking into consideration the specific position of hate crime victims, this handbook provides an overview of main aspects of hate crimes and how to recognize and report them. It also explains which rights belong to hate crime victims and the kinds of protection available. The handbook is intended for persons who were targets or witnesses of hate crimes, as well as professionals, civil society organizations and other stakeholders who work or come in contact with victims of hate crimes. The brochure is available in Croatian, English, German and French.  

Taking into consideration the specific position of members of the LGBTIQ community as hate crime targets, this handbook provides an overview of main aspects of hate crimes and how to recognize and report them. It also explains which rights belong to hate crime victims and the kinds of protection available in Croatia. The handbook is intended for persons who were targets or witnesses of hate crimes, as well as professionals, civil society organizations and other stakeholders who work or come in contact with victims of hate crimes. The brochure is available in Croatian, English and German.  

Taking into consideration the specific position of refugees, applicants for international protection and other migrants in Croatia as targets of hate crime, this handbook provides an overview of main aspects of hate crimes and how to recognize and report them. It also explains which rights belong to hate crime victims and the kinds of protection available in Croatia. The handbook is intended for persons who were targets or witnesses of hate crimes, as well as professionals, civil society organizations and other stakeholders who work or come in contact with victims of hate crimes. The brochure is available in Croatian, English and French.  

The thematic report titled “The Current State of Human Rights of Perpetrators of Offences with an Emphasis on the Resocialization of Prisoners” is the result of research which the Human Rights House Zagreb undertook in terms of the project “Moto#R – Motivation and Empowerment for Resocialization” in the period from July – December 2020. The aim of the thematic research is to facilitate a better understanding of resocialization and the effects of resocialization on preparing prisoners for freedom after prison, not just at a normative level but also in practice, as well as addressing challenges and obstacles that prisoners and relevant state bodies encounter in implementing resocialization. The research also endeavored to identify good practices in implementing resocialization of prisoners with the aim of conducting an analysis and drafting recommendations for improving existing practices. To get an overall insight into the current state of human rights of perpetrators of offenses with an emphasis on their resocialization, the research was conducted in three phases. The first phase of the research covered an overview and analysis of the existing legal framework relating to resocialization of prisoners, their rights, obligations and opportunities within the prison system. The second phase of the research involved developing interview protocols, mapping relevant stakeholders involved in implementing the resocialization of prisoners. The third phase required conducting 18 semi-structured interviews with seven bodies of the criminal justice system, four public authorities (Ministry of Justice and Public Administration as well as social welfare centers), two independent institutions and five civil society organizations working on facilitating the resocialization of prisoners and their families.

Human Rights in Croatia: Overview of 2020 is the annual report produced by the Human Rights House in cooperation with civil society organisations dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights in various aspects of social life. The report aims to provide insight into violations, issues, challenges and disputes in the sphere of protection and promotion of human rights in 2020. In addition to significant material damages caused by two devastating earthquakes that hit central Croatia, the past year has been challenging for human rights on account of restrictive measures adopted to protect public health in response to the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. The report covers social, economic and political context, international instruments, laws, public policies and institutions, right to participation, human rights defenders and civil society, religious rights and freedoms, media freedoms, security and human rights, human rights and the judiciary, transitional justice and dealing with the past, right to an adequate standard of living, right to health, human rights and the environment, education and human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, youth, rights of the elderly, rights of persons with disabilities, rights of LGBTIQ persons, rights of the homeless, rights of refugees and rights of national minorities.

This publication provides an analysis of the issue of cooperation between civil society and states in relation to membership in the UN Human Rights Council. The first part consists of a research methodology and findings about experiences in cooperation between civil society and government in three countries: Armenia, Croatia and Georgia. The second part of the publication is the toolbox for fostering meaningful cooperation between state and civil society. It builds on the experiences of various actors and is primarily targeted towards civil society organizations. It enables CSOs to assess their political context and define their HRC-related strategy.