Legislation

(Adopted on April 27, 1992)

(Document Status on April 27, 1992)

Article 11

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia shall recognize and guarantee the rights of national minorities to preserve, foster and express their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and other peculiarities, as well as to use their national symbols, in accordance with international law.

Article 15

(1) In the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Serbian language in its ekavian and ijekavian dialects and the Cyrillic script shall be official, while the Latin script shall be in official use as provided for by the Constitution and law.

(2) In regions of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia inhabited by national minorities, the languages and scripts of these minorities shall also be in official use in the manner prescribed by law. Simultaneously with the Serbian language, Hungarian, Slovak, Rumanian and Ruthenian languages are in official use in Vojvodina, and Albanian in Kosovo and Metohija.

Article 20

(1) Citizens shall be equal irrespective of their nationality, race, sex, language, faith, political or other beliefs, education, social origin, property, or other personal status.

Article 23

(3) Every person taken into custody must be informed immediately in his mother tongue or in a language, which he understands of the reasons for his arrest, and he shall be entitled to demand that the authorities inform his next of kin of his detention.

Article 45

(1) Freedom of the expression of national sentiments and culture and the use of one's mother tongue and script shall be guaranteed.

(2) No one shall be obliged to declare his nationality.

Article 46

(1) Members of national minorities shall have the right to education in their own language, in conformity with the law.

(2) Members of national minorities shall have the right to information media in their own language.

Article 47

Member of national minorities shall have the right to establish educational and cultural organizations or associations, in conformity with the law, which are financed on the principle of voluntary contributions, and may also receive assistance from the state.

Article 48

Members of national minorities shall be guaranteed the right to establish and foster unhindered relations with co-nationals within the Republic of Yugoslavia and outside its borders with co-nationals in other states, and to take part in international non-governmental organizations, provided these relations are not detrimental to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or to a member republic.

Article 49

Everyone shall be guaranteed the right to use his own language in proceedings before a tribunal or other authority or organization which in the performance of their public powers decide on his rights and duties and in the course of these proceedings to be informed of the facts in hi own language.

Article 50

Any incitement or encouragement of national, racial, religious or other inequality as well as the incitement and fomenting of national, racial, religious or other hatred and intolerance shall be unconstitutional and punishable.

Note: The complete text of the Constitution of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) and further information on the constitutional background of are provided by the International Constitutional Law Project at the University of Wuerzburg

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