Announcements

The professional association of police "Dr. Rudolf Archibald Reis" in a statement "strongly rejects the tendentious and generalizing claims made in the statement of ANEM... portraying police officers as a systemic threat to media workers."

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) joins the initiative of NUNS and other journalistic and media associations and calls on all colleagues, citizens, and residents to support the Regional Information Agency JugPress in its efforts to survive in the name of solidarity, professional responsibility, and the collective struggle for free and independent journalism.

Statement from the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) on the jeopardy faced by cameramen and photographers at public gatherings

In the first six months of 2025, public prosecutors in Serbia initiated 44 cases based on submitted criminal complaints and/or reports, which represents a significant increase compared to the same period in 2024. These cases pertain to incidents affecting 46 journalists and media workers, consisting of 55% male and 45% female individuals. Nearly half of the attacks (21) occurred in a digital environment, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Special Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime. Regarding online attacks, 70% of the victims are female journalists, while 30% are male journalists.

Instead of condemning hate speech and the promotion of violence in tabloids, particularly those of the Informer group, the state leadership is doing everything in its power to protect them.

A member of the Gendarmerie unit, which was dispersing protesters from the Miloš Veliki highway last night, aggressively shoved N1 journalist Nenad Nešić with both hands, as well as the cameraman. During this incident, he also attempted to seize the camera.

Physical attacks on female journalists, such as the attack on Jelena Stojković, a journalist for Večernje Novosti, who was assaulted by pushing and twisting her arms while carrying out her journalistic duties, resulting in injuries, by Zoran Dimitrijević, the director of the Public Utility Company Komrad from Vranje, are becoming increasingly common. In the previous year, 2024, for the first time, a higher number of attacks and threats against female journalists was recorded compared to those against male journalists.

Civil society warns of increasingly dangerous smear campaigns against media workers, the consequences of which can seriously jeopardize their safety. These attacks come from the highest public offices in Serbia. The statement by President Vučić, in which he calls for Veran Matić to apologize to those accused of the murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija and "bring them a bottle of wine," represents an unequivocal and dangerous political message: that in Serbia, targeting and calling for revenge against those who fight for truth and justice is once again permissible.

Journalistic and media associations, members of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists (SRG), condemn the statement made by the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, which endangers the safety of Veran Matić, a member of the SRG and the president of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM).