ANEM ALARM: Journalists from Glas Zaječara and Likvidno from Kraljevo expelled from SNS events.

A journalist from Glasa Zaječara was prohibited from reporting on an SNS gathering in Veliki Izvor near Zaječar on Saturday, September 19, which was attended by local officials and where, according to announcements from residents, party leaders Ana Brnabić and Miloš Vučević were expected to appear. The Vice President of SNS for Zaječar, Neli Nikolić, approached the journalist from Glasa Zaječara and warned him that he was unwelcome and needed to leave the party gathering immediately. This is the second time that Glasa Zaječara, a member of ANEM and a frequent target of attacks and threats, has been denied the opportunity to report on an event of the ruling party.

In Kraljevo, while attempting to obtain statements from gathered supporters of SNS, an unknown man approached the editor of the portal Likvidno, Nenad Simović, and forcefully grabbed his right arm, saying: "Come on, get out. You don't have accreditation; this is a registered gathering." Simović was visibly wearing a press accreditation and had previously conducted an interview with citizens gathered at the Students' List event without any issues. The editor of the portal Likvidno reported the incident to the Kraljevo police and submitted a recording as evidence.

"Since the beginning of the election campaign, ANEM has recorded a series of attacks on local professional journalists who are trying to report objectively on all participants in the election campaign. Colleagues working in the public interest are typically targets of attacks and threats. They are intimidated, physically threatened, and local SNS officials and supporters assault them. This practice of the ruling party deepens the polarization of society, creates an atmosphere of fear, heightened tensions, and does not contribute at all to the conditions necessary for holding fair and free elections on October 25. It seems that SNS is not backing down from a campaign of violence and preventing journalists from doing their job of reporting in the public interest and on the activities of all participants in the electoral race," said Veran Matić, Chairman of the Management Board of ANEM.

ANEM demands that the competent prosecutor's office prevent the continuation of the campaign of violence against journalists, which is typically directed at those who adhere to ethical standards and strive for objective information for citizens.

 Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union and the Balkan Democracy Fund.