Serbia

Overview of the religious freedom situation in Serbia reveals some improvements but continuing obstacles.

Unregistered religious groups are not being harassed at the moment, but have not yet been able to gain legal status to operate, thus running the risk that they could be shut down.

"We will need years to get it down to an acceptable level, but we are determined to do it."

Deadlock over the fate of Kosovo has caused tension among Serbian orthodox Christians.

Few violent attacks against religious communities in Serbia ever result in any punishment - the latest survey of such attacks – covering September 2006 to September 2007 – seems to indicate that although fewer attacks are now taking place, the attacks themselves are becoming more violent.

New official doesn't solve problem of small church groups gaining legal recognition to operate in Serbia.

New religion law in Serbia has led to more difficulty for small churches to gain legal status.

The Serbian government is making it difficult for small churches and other religious groups to gain legal recognition.

Evangelical church in Kraljevo is renting its facilities and is afraid that their landlady will ask them to leave because of this fire-bombing.

Christian religious leaders are increasingly fearful that Govt. officals are trying to strip them of their legal identities to shut them down.

All kinds of churches have been targeted by vandalism and theft in Serbia in the last two years.

Minister Radulovic's banning of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church directly contravenes the European Court on Human Rights

Many doubts remain about whether the law will be followed with equal legal treatment for all religious communities.

President signed bill into law despite his own admission that it violates the European Convention on Human Rights.

Controversial new law on churches passed while majority of parliament was absent - minority Protestant and Evangelical Christians very concerned that the law will target them for discrimination.

Draft bill on religion seeks to link church and state, causing minority religious communities to be marginalized and denied legitimacy.