Serbia Condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for Banning Falun Gong Protests During Xi Jinping’s Visit
The European Court of Human Rights unanimously condemned Serbia for banning three peaceful Falun Gong assemblies during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2016 state visit to Belgrade. The Court ruled that Serbian authorities relied on speculative security grounds rather than concrete evidence, violating Article 11 (freedom of peaceful assembly) and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) of the European Convention. The judgment reinforces that diplomatic considerations cannot override fundamental rights in democratic societies.
