FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY IN THE TIME OF COVID19 PANDEMICS

Pandemija COVID-19 postavila je nezapamćene izazove vladama u smislu donošenja odluka za njezino suzbijanje pri čemu se postavljaju pitanja o narušavanju temeljnih ljudskih prava poput prava na slobodu javnog okupljanja. Potonje je osobito ugroženo uslijed prirode koronavirusa koje se lako i brzo prenosi upravo međuljudskim kontaktom. Dakle, izvanredne situacije, kao što je to ova pandemija, iziskuju određene izvanredne mjere za zaštitu javnog zdravlja uključujući ograničenja temeljnih ljudskih prava. Do danas se primjenjuje praksa ograničavanja slobode javnog okupljanja prema hitnim zakonima diljem svijeta, pa tako i u Republici Hrvatskoj. Prema strogim naredbama lockdowna i karantena, većina građana u početku je ostajala kod kuće i izbjegavala masovna okupljanja. Međutim, s vremenom su ljudi počeli negodovati i prosvjedovati protiv ovakvih mjera. U ovom radu obrađuje se problematika slobode javnog okupljanja u doba pandemije COVID-19 s naglaskom na Republiku Hrvatsku i Europsku uniju.The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to the governments in terms of making decisions to combat it, raising questions about violations of fundamental human rights such as the right to freedom of public assembly. The latter is particularly endangered due to the nature of the coronavirus, which is easily and quickly transmitted through interpersonal contact. Thus, emergencies, such as this pandemic, require certain emergency measures to protect public health including restrictions on fundamental human rights. To this day, the practice of restricting the freedom of public assembly according to urgent laws is applied all over the world, including in the Republic of Croatia. Under strict lockdown and quarantine orders, most citizens initially stayed at home and avoided mass gatherings. Over time, however, people began to protest and protest against such measures. This paper deals with the issue of freedom of public assembly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on the Republic of Croatia and the European Union