Ombudsman

Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic has reacted to citizens' ombudsman request for his dismissal by saying he would "continue to improve the status of the army."

As Gasic said, he believes that competent organs will soon respond to that request.

Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic has initiated control procedure and demanded explanation from the Ministry of Economy and the Administrative Inspectorate of Serbia.

It regards their failure to act upon the request to provide information of public importance from the contract on management of public company Zelezara Smederevo.

A year after the bursting of the dam in the abandoned antimony mine Stolice in western Serbia, the damage has not been repaired adequately.

This is what Citizens Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic has said, warning that the situation poses "ecological danger for a large part of Serbia's territory."

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic held a regular meeting Tuesday, Tanjug has reported.

They discussed ways to improve the work of executive power bodies concerning respect for the rights of citizens.

Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic says that 27 percent of complaints in the area of children's rights he received in 2014 concerned cases of violence against children.

It is "an alarming piece of information indicating the need for society's maximum engagement in preventing it," he said on Wednesday.

CoE's commissioner for human rights has expressed his concern over verbal attacks of some politicians and media in Serbia against Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic.

Ivan Simonovic's visit is the first to Macedonia by a senior UN human rights official since 1999 and he will be joined by colleagues from the UN Department of Political Affairs.

Simonovic will be meeting the country's embattled authorities "and other stakeholders on the current political situation as it relates to relevant human rights considerations," a press release reads.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Friday received Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic.

According to a government statement, the two said that "respect for citizens' rights and regularity and legality in the work of government bodies need to be improved."

PM and NGOs disagree on range of issues

BELGRADE -- NGO representatives who met with Aleksandar Vucic on Monday say the differences between them remain when it comes to media, the rule of law, and the ombudsman.

Serbian officials and Zagreb’s rights ombudsman strongly criticised right-wing European parliamentarian Ruza Tomasic, who said that some Serbs living in Croatia should leave the country.