A roundtable on the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the Stanimirović v. Serbia group of cases, concerning ill-treatment by the police and the lack of effective investigations into such allegations, took place on 1 October in Belgrade. The roundtable gathered public prosecutors and police officers, who are in charge of investigating such allegations, together with representatives of the Office of the Serbian Government Agent before the ECtHR, the Office of the Protector of Citizens and the Judicial Academy.

Opening the roundtable, Evgenia Giakoumopoulou, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, underlined the importance the Council of Europe attaches to the full and effective execution of the ECtHR judgments. She recalled that the Stanimirović group has been pending for over 15 years under the enhanced supervision of the Committee of Ministers, and that the roundtable aims to be a step forward in this process, building on a previous meeting on the same topic held in 2024.

Through presentations on Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the related case-law of the ECtHR, as well as on the requirements for, and comparative experience in, the execution of Article 3 judgments, participants had the opportunity to discuss the challenges in ensuring effective investigations into allegations of ill-treatment and to clarify the role of each stakeholder in this process. Particular emphasis was placed on the steps taken so far in the execution of the Stanimirović group, notably the application of the 2017 Methodology for Investigating Cases of Ill-Treatment by the Police. The discussions also allowed participants to consider possible next steps in the execution of this group of judgments.

This event is a part of the ongoing efforts of the actions “Strengthening human rights protection in Serbia” and “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced persons in Serbia” to provide assistance to the state institutions in executing judgments of the ECtHR in relation to Serbia as well as in implementing CPT recommendations, by enabling a platform for exchange of information and co-ordination.

These actions are parts of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”, implemented by the Council of Europe.