Freedom of expression
Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) continued to threaten freedom of expression. According to the Croatian Journalists’ Association, there were at least 700 lawsuits pending against journalists by the middle of the year. Croatia failed to make notable progress in transposing the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive into domestic legislation.
Defamation remained a criminal offence and was used to bring both criminal charges and civil claims against journalists, significantly restricting freedom of expression. Civil defamation claims, including by politicians, businesses and even judges, represented the vast majority of all lawsuits against journalists.
Journalists reporting on corruption, the environment and governmental affairs faced physical attacks as well as harassment and online threats, including by senior government officials. According to the NGO Media Freedom Rapid Response, the combination of a hostile environment, inadequate protection, precarious working conditions and significant financial and political pressure on the media had significantly undermined press freedom and the right to information.
Sexual and reproductive rights
Access to abortion care remained extremely constrained due to the failure by the authorities to guarantee access to services in the context of widespread refusal of doctors and clinics to perform abortions on the grounds of conscience. Additionally, the high cost of the procedure, which is not covered by national insurance, and the inaccessibility of abortion care in rural and economically deprived areas presented significant further barriers for women living in poverty, minorities and women with disabilities. Lack of access to abortion services forced women to travel abroad to obtain safe and timely abortion care.1 The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) urged Croatia to facilitate and guarantee equal and effective access to abortion services for all.
Violence against women and girls
In December, the government adopted the Action Plan on Protection from Violence against Women and Domestic Violence 2025-2027, which included new measures to accelerate court proceedings. Women’s organizations warned, however, that the plan did not include concrete measures to address some of the key challenges, including the lack of shelters and other support services.
Women and girls who experienced violence continued to face obstacles to accessing support. According to women’s rights organizations, barriers included institutions’ failure to recognize economic, psychological and emotional violence, the persistent practice of dual arrests (where victims are arrested alongside their abusers), retraumatizing procedures in social services and courts, and the lack of victim-sensitive support services.
Local organizations reported a rise in online violence against women and girls and noted the lack of institutional protection of women in digital spaces. Croatia did not align its legislation with the 2024 EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Economic, social and cultural rights
The Ombudsperson’s Office warned about growing poverty rates caused by rising inflation and an increase in the cost of living. Single-parent families, Roma, older people and people living in rural areas were at particular risk. In its second periodic review, the CESCR urged authorities to redouble efforts to address poverty, including by providing direct cash transfers to affected families and individuals.
Refugees’ and migrants’ rights
The number of people travelling through Croatia dropped considerably. Local organizations reported that refugees and migrants intercepted at the border frequently faced violence.
Discrimination
Roma people continued to experience significant social exclusion and obstacles when attempting to access education, employment, housing and healthcare. Around 70% of Roma families lived in extreme poverty and 46% lived in isolated settlements without essential services.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) noted widespread hate speech against Roma, Serbs and LGBTI people in political speech, public places and online. The commission urged the authorities to distance themselves from and challenge the expression of racist and LGBTI-phobic hate speech.
Hate speech and negative discourse targeted the Serbian national minority, encouraging discrimination and negatively impacting on the realization of their rights. In a series of incidents in November, groups of masked people displaying fascist symbols targeted Serb cultural events and individuals. The ombudsperson called the incidents “extremely dangerous”.
LGBTI people’s rights
Despite positive legal changes over the past years, LGBTI people continued to face prejudice and discrimination. The government failed to take action to ensure LGBTI equality. The procedure for legal gender recognition remained lengthy and complicated and required an obligatory medical opinion, including from a psychiatrist and psychologist.
The ECRI urged the authorities to adopt legislation explicitly prohibiting ongoing conversion practices aimed at changing the sexual orientation of LGBTI people.
Right to a healthy environment
The CESCR noted that Croatia’s continued reliance on fossil fuels and inadequate measures for renewable energy fell short of its obligations under the Paris Agreement and urged authorities to enhance investment in renewable energy.
