Online assemblies between freedom and order: Practices in South-East Europe

Abstract

This article approaches the question of whose interests the internet serves through the prism of online assemblies in the South-East Europe (SEE) region. In order to answer this question, the article uses four connected yet different angles. The first part explores opportunities and limitations of international laws, as well as national laws in the SEE region. Furthermore, the article discusses the role of the state in providing and facilitating access to the internet, that is, enabling the space for online assemblies in the SEE region. The article takes into account the variety of actors in the field of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly online, paying special attention to internet service providers. Finally, the article analyses the surveillance of the internet activities and security and its relation with online and offline assemblies. The article uses all four these aspects to explore the situations in the SEE region. The article specifically focuses on four countries, namely, three former Yugoslav republics: Croatia – a European Union member since 2013; Serbia – a candidate country exercising control over the internet the most; Bosnia and Herzegovina – a country aspiring to become a candidate but in which progress is burdened by divisions and legacy of the war; and Turkey, which has one of the most illustrative examples of stifling freedom of expression and assembly, and the influence of which on the Balkans is also visible. Key words: online assemblies; South-East Europe; freedom of assembly; freedom of expression