News

Representatives of partner organizations of the Rapid Response Mechanism in the field of media freedom and the Council of Europe Platform for the Promotion of the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists today warned, in front of the location where Slavko Ćuruvija was murdered, that the situation regarding the safety of journalists in Serbia is "explosive."

Following the death of a student from the Faculty of Philosophy, the pro-regime tabloid Informer has spent the entire morning displaying dramatic video footage and photographs of her body from the crime scene, using this tragedy to settle scores with the student movement. They are calling for the arrest of Dean Danijel Sinani and Rector Vladan Đokić, accusing them of having "bloody hands." The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) is appalled by such reporting and warns that the publication of photographs threatens the dignity of the victim, the privacy of her family, and disturbs the public.

The public prosecutor of the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office (BPO) in Zaječar, N. D., on the basis of Article 284, paragraph 1, item 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), on March 23, 2026, issued a decision dismissing the criminal complaint of Miljko Stojanović from Zaječar dated October 11, 2025, submitted to the Police Directorate in Zaječar against the head of the Police Directorate Zaječar, I. J. from Sokobanja, and officer I. V. from the Traffic Police Department of the Police Directorate Zaječar, for one count of the criminal offense of abuse and torture under Article 137, paragraph 3 in connection with paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code (CC), as there are no grounds for suspicion that a criminal offense subject to prosecution ex officio has been committed.

The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation and the Coalition for Media Freedom have published two analyses examining the alignment of the legal and institutional framework in Serbia with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), as well as the possibilities for its implementation under the current circumstances.

Journalists reporting from war and crisis zones around the world typically wear visible insignia that distinguish them from soldiers and ordinary civilians. This is usually a bright yellow fluorescent vest marked with PRESS, which is visible from almost the Moon. This is designed to protect journalists, preventing snipers from targeting them or aggressors from attacking them under the belief that they are "warriors from another tribe." Furthermore, if a journalist is attacked, wounded, or – heaven forbid – loses their life, the perpetrators cannot claim that it was done accidentally or by mistake. The yellow vest is recommended by numerous international organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and international journalists' associations.

Veran Matić, the president of the ANEM Board of Directors and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, stated to Insajder that he believes the situation regarding media safety and freedom of expression has significantly impacted the further deterioration of Serbia's position on the Freedom House list and in their assessments.

Former employees of B92 are sharing a video on social media in which they condemn the threats received by Veran Matić, the president of the Managing Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, accompanied by the message "Veran Matić is not alone."

The National Working Group for the Fight Against SLAPP expresses serious concern regarding the private criminal lawsuit filed by the company "Millennium Team" against N1 journalist Maja Nikolić, seeking a prison sentence of up to one year for what they claim in the lawsuit to be the criminal offense of damaging business reputation and creditworthiness related to an article about the purchase of the "Jugoslavija" hotel and state subsidies.

"I perceive the threats from the Center for Social Stability as death threats," says Veran Matić, the president of the Board of Directors of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), in an interview with Danas.