Child Human Rights Defenders in Serbia’s Civic Protests – Risks and Rights Violations Faced by High School Students in Peaceful Protests Report was developed by the Network of Organizations for Children of Serbia (MODS) in April and May 2025, in response to the ongoing civic protests taking place across Serbia since November 2024. It provides an overview of the participation of children (high school students) in these events, emphasizing the key issues they have encountered and the risks to which they have been exposed.
Children–the high school students–in Serbia have publicly advocated for justice, accountability, and democratic rights–clearly engaging in human rights defense. Their participation has not only been peaceful and purposeful, but also aligned with core civil and political rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (United Nations, 1989), such as freedom of expression (Art. 13), peaceful assembly (Art. 15), and the right to be heard (Art. 12).
Recognizing these children in Serbia as Child Human Rights Defenders is therefore essential not only to accurately reflect their role and agency, but also to demand that the state fulfill its obligations to protect and empower children who are peacefully advocating for human rights. This recognition is a crucial step toward ensuring that children are not silenced, punished, or placed at risk for engaging in democratic action.
The full report is available at the following link.