Europe

Even though many countries in Europe protect human rights on paper, they often fall short in practice. Populism and discrimination against minority groups are on the rise while the respect for human rights is in decline.

In collaboration with human rights defenders, we focus on advancing Roma rights and LGBTI+ rights, freedom of expression, accountability, and advocacy. We have regional offices in several countries and also work in Brussels to ensure that human rights are high on the EU’s agenda. 

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News from Europe

Srebrenica 30 years later: Memory, truth, and the fight against denial

  • Bosnia-Herzegovina, News
  • 10 July 2025

Thirty years after the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the UN-declared safe area of Srebrenica…

Reports of brutal police violence in Serbia

  • Serbia, Statements
  • 4 July 2025

Civil Rights Defenders and Amnesty International urge Serbia to investigate reports of a widespread …

Civil Rights Defenders Seeks Four National Legal Experts in Albania and Serbia for Consultancy

  • Albania, Serbia
  • 27 June 2025

Civil Rights Defenders is looking to engage four national legal experts—two in Albania and two in Se…
People waving Pride flags and walking behind a banner at Pride in Sarajevo

Love rules at the BiH Pride March

  • Bosnia-Herzegovina, News
  • 24 June 2025

Earlier this month, Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrated Pride in Sarajevo. Civil Rights Defenders supp…
More news from Europe

A legacy of rights in Europe

Civil Rights Defenders has worked to protect civil and political rights in Europe for over four decades. Our roots in the region run deep. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, we’ve stood side by side with human rights defenders across the Western Balkans. In 2000, we opened our first ever field office – in Belgrade – and we haven’t looked back since.

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Standing proud: advancing LGBTI+ rights

The first Pride parade in Belgrade, Serbia, ended in violence. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to secure the rights of LGBTI+ people in the Western Balkans. In 2022, we were proud contributors to EuroPride in Belgrade, the first EuroPride in Southeast Europe and a historic event for both the region and Europe as a whole.

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Training tomorrow’s defenders of justice

Since 2007, our Regional Moot Court Competition has been a launchpad for young legal minds across the Balkans, sharpening their skills before the European Court of Human Rights. A courtroom simulation that’s anything but pretend.

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Rule of Law Forum: a decade of dialogue and impact

Since 2014, the Rule of Law Forum has brought together judges, legal experts, and institutions from across South East Europe to advance the European Convention on Human Rights and support EU integration. It’s become a key space for regional cooperation – and a cornerstone for protecting rights through law.

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Courage meets know-how

The Human Rights Defenders Academy brings together the next generation of activists from across the Western Balkans for five intense days of learning, strategy, and solidarity. From expert-led workshops to hands-on tools for action, it’s more than a training – it’s a movement in the making.

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Support brave human rights defenders

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Human Rights Defenders in the Western Balkans

This landmark report by Civil Rights Defenders explores how human rights defenders face intimidation instead of recognition in the six Western Balkan states.

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Osman Kavala walking along stone walls in hilly scenery

Exclusive interview with Osman Kavala on his 2000 days in prison

Osman Kavala, philanthropist and one of the most influential activists in Turkey, sentenced to life in prison. We got the rare opportunity to speak to him about his unwavering resilience, aspirations, and vision for the future of human rights in Turkey.

Read the interview here

Press and media

Are you a journalist and want to book an interview with one of our experts on the human rights situation in Eurasia or interview some of the world’s bravest people from the region?

For more information and inquiries, please contact us here:
+46 (0)76 576 27 62 / press@crd.org

Find our pressroom here