Search

Cyber warfare represents a new form of conflict in today’s world. Unlike earlier traditional armed conflicts, cyber warfare is different in terms of means, methods, techniques, and actors. Cyber warfare takes place in virtual space through the use of information and communication technologies. The actors may be states, but also individuals who can inflict significant damage on their opponents. The consequences of cyber attacks may not be immediately apparent, but can manifest much later. Similarly, the outcome of a cyber attack can be material damage or the loss of human life. Since cyber operations can take place not only during conflicts but also in peacetime, the concept of cyber aggression is often present. States are aware of the new cyber threats and are developing their defensive and offensive capabilities, adopting strategies and doctrines addressing these issues. However, there is no international agreement that regulates the open issues related to cyber warfare, as there is no consensus among states on how to regulate it. There are attempts to apply the rules of international humanitarian law that govern armed conflicts to the realm of cyber warfare. Consensus within the international community has not been reached, leaving this area unregulated. The paper aims to examine the possibility of applying the rules of international humanitarian law, specifically the rules governing the right to use force in international relations (jus ad bellum) and the rules governing the conduct of parties in conflict (jus in bello), to cyber warfare.

The spread and danger of the Covid-19 virus in 2020 demonstrated how unprepared states were for such threats. Each state took measures it believed to be adequate at the time to protect its population. In the Republic of Serbia, numerous measures were implemented after a state of emergency was declared in March, to prevent the spread of the virus. Many of these measures led to derogations of various human rights. However, even in extreme situations like a state of emergency, derogating human rights should meet the requirements of necessity, and proportionality. This paper examines the state of certain human rights, namely the right to information and freedom of peaceful assembly during the state of emergency in the Republic of Serbia. The analysis aims to determine whether there was a derogation of these rights or rather their gross violation. In this way, the paper seeks to provide specific lessons about human rights that every citizen can draw after the Covid-19 virus pandemic in the Republic of Serbia.