Source: gsa.org.rs  Photo: gsa.org.rs

Belgrade, May 13 2019 – Asylum Protection Center was shortlisted for the 2018/19^th “Rainbow” Award, seventh in a row since 2012. The jury who is deciding on the 2018/19 “Rainbow” Award, formed a shortlist of 5 nominees for the award, among them nominating Asylum Protection Center.

APC was shortlisted for the award because of its successful legal engagement and aid provided to an Iranian person who was then granted asylum in Serbia, previously facing systematic violation of its human rights as LGBT person in Iran and suffering personal traumatic experiences there. Moreover, APC ensured refugee protection for one more LGBT person, contributing significantly in that manner to the improvement of existing asylum granting/decisionmaking practice in Serbia. In that regard, APC made a significant contribution to a better understanding of the position of LGBT persons coming as refugees to Serbia, but also to the better functioning of authorities and Serbian institutions regarding this issue.

Jury had decided that, besides APC/CZA a shortlist for the “Rainbow” Award includes Vice Serbia, authors and producers of the TV show “Jutro će promeniti sve”, photographer Aleksandar Crnogorac and Čedomir Jovanović, president of Liberal Democratic Party.

Members of this year’s jury were: Irena Mišović, fashion editor and journalist and last year’s winner of „Rainbow“ Award; Sandra Pantelić, Head of the City Administration of Belgrade; Jugoslav Pantelić, director of Yugoslav Kinotheque and artistic director of FEST; Ljiljana Smajlović, journalist and former president of Journalists′ Association of Serbia (UNS); Prof. dr Zorica Mršević, science advisor for Institut of Social Sciences in Belgrade; Jovana Šesterikov, journalist of Vice Serbia; Naim Leo Beširi, executive director of Institute for European Affairs; Predrag Azdejković, president of Gay Lesbian Info Center (GLIC) and Lazar Pavlović, president of GSA, as a representative of an award founder.

“Rainbow” Award had been established by GSA and since 2013 it’s awarded every year marking the May 17th – International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – IDAHO for contribution to battling homophobia and transphobia, and protection and improvement for LGBT human rights in Serbia for the past year. Award’s goal is to instigate and affirm the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights of LGBT’s in Serbia from the state and local institutions and organs, as well as the society in a whole.