ANEM ALARM: An unacceptable policy of "One Table for One... Journalist" that is being implemented towards journalists from Montenegro.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemns any restrictions on the freedom of movement of journalists and citizens in any country, unless based on a final court decision made in accordance with the law and international human rights standards. This principle applies to everyone, including Dragan J. Vučićević, who presents himself as a journalist, although through his public actions and the editorial policy of the media he oversees, he continuously violates the Code of Journalists of Serbia. The damage caused by such media practices is immeasurable, but any potential responsibility must be determined solely in accordance with the law and through the relevant institutions.

Retaliation directed at professional journalists from Montenegro, who have no connection to the decisions of Montenegrin authorities, is completely unacceptable. It is particularly concerning that these are journalists who professionally perform their work, respecting the ethical codes of journalism and the principles of media freedom.

The current government in Serbia is characterized by rhetoric and actions reminiscent of the 1990s. The President of Serbia himself once promoted a vindictive logic encapsulated in the message “for one... a hundred...”.

Does this now mean that due to the unacceptable entry ban imposed on Dragan J. Vučićević in Montenegro, made without a court decision, dozens of professional journalists from Montenegro will bear the consequences when entering Serbia?

Vengeful repression against journalists from Montenegro is entirely in line with the continuous decline of media freedoms in Serbia – from 54th place on the World Press Freedom Index in 2014 to 104th place this year – and leads to further deterioration of the country's position in upcoming reports.

ANEM supports the media and journalists in Montenegro who advocate for a society based on universal human rights principles, the rule of law, and respect for professional journalistic standards. At the same time, we demand that the authorities in Serbia respect Montenegro's progress on its European path and refrain from actions that undermine relations between the two countries and threaten media freedom. The constant undermining of Montenegro's European path is unworthy of a state that formally aspires to EU membership itself.

We call on the European Commission to protect journalists whose freedom of movement is unjustly restricted, preventing them from performing their professional journalistic work, as well as to mediate in establishing conditions that will allow for the unhindered and professional work of journalists in the region.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "Improving the System of Prevention and Response Mechanisms in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Life of Journalists in Serbia" is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.