ANEM ALARM: Is the area in front of the assembly private property, and who issues permits for entry?

The Insajder team was not allowed to film the interior of the tent settlement yesterday after completing their reporting at the National Assembly, where lawmakers were discussing the budget proposal for 2026. As reported by Insajder television reporter Stefan Goranović, the ban on reporting from this area was communicated orally by an individual who identified themselves as a member of the security for the tent settlement, without presenting any identification that would confirm this, citing that "they must be accredited to follow the public gathering."

Present members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs initially ignored the situation, later informing the Insajder team that "they can only film outside the fenced area." When asked on what grounds filming was prohibited, the police did not provide an answer but directed the Insajder team to an area outside the metal fences.

It should be noted that in the previous period, the area near the National Assembly has proven to be an unsafe place for journalists wishing to report in the public interest, as well as for some citizens who openly expressed their disagreement during protests regarding the tent settlement near the Assembly and the occupation of public space.

ANEM strongly condemns the obstruction of the Insajder television team's work and considers it unacceptable for journalists to be prohibited from reporting from public spaces in the center of Belgrade. We remind the police that their task is to ensure the unobstructed operation of all media representatives and to protect them in cases where their safety is threatened while covering events.

Insajder journalists have recently been targeted multiple times with threats and attacks, and this year not a single case has been resolved. Journalist Stefan Miljuš was recently physically attacked at the same location, in front of the national parliament, while doing his job, and on another occasion, he was removed from the crowd he was interviewing by two unknown men. In the first case, the prosecutor had a conversation with Miljuš, but subsequent to that, in September, a decision was made to dismiss the criminal complaint.

Threats directed at Brankica Stanković have also yet to be resolved; she has given her testimony in two cases, and the prosecution has submitted requests to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the collection of necessary information. Journalists from the same outlet, Irena Stević and Nataša Mijušković, have also experienced threats and unpleasantness in the so-called "Ćacilend."

We remind that the impunity of attacks on journalists directly encourages the repetition of obstructions and physical attacks, and we call on the relevant authorities to prosecute all cases related to the obstruction of media work in order to prevent the negative trend of endangering journalists' safety.

Veran Matić, president of the ANEM Board of Directors, believes that the safety of Insajder editorial members must not be taken lightly or relativized.

"Soon it will be 16 years since Brankica Stanković received stadium threats. Ignoring the seriousness of these threats and the identities of those behind them has, over time, emboldened all those who might endanger her, which is why she has been assigned round-the-clock police protection. We must not allow such a scenario to repeat, and no journalist or media worker should be endangered or harmed while performing their job in Serbia," said Matić.

In the past two days, the police and those gathered in this area have not allowed opposition lawmakers to pass behind the erected metal fences to enter the main entrance of the Assembly to reach their workplaces. Additionally, media reports indicate that the prosecutor who came to investigate the case of a stolen mobile phone was also not permitted to approach the fenced area, and incidents of attacks during citizen gatherings have been recorded.

ANEM calls on the relevant authorities to publicly announce who reported the gathering in front of the National Assembly of Serbia and for what period, why it is being secured by the police, and why movement through that part of the city is not allowed, considering that freedom of movement is one of the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)