The Advocates for Human Rights, together with the Autonomous Women’s House Zagreb, submitted a joint stakeholder report on the rise of the radical right in Croatia for the 36th Session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review in May 2020.
Despite progress in some basic rights, Croatia has failed to protect numerous fundamental human rights and meet its obligations under domestic and international law. The government of Croatia has not decriminalized defamation and continues to oppress freedom of speech. Croatia has directed funds away from non-governmental organizations whose objectives do not align with those of the government, constituting a great level of censorship. Croatia has failed to protect the rights of many marginalized groups, including minority groups such as Serbs and Romas. The government of Croatia has remained complicit with hate crimes against LGBTQ+ groups and failed to improve the equal rights of same-sex couples. Furthermore, the government fails to improve the rights of women and has subjected refugees to significant discrimination and harm.
The authors of report make the following recommendations to the government of Croatia: