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

The journalist from Glasa Zaječara was banned on Saturday, September 19, from reporting on the SNS gathering in Veliki Izvor near Zaječar, which was attended by local officials and where, according to announcements from residents, party leaders Ana Brnabić and Miloš Vučević were expected to appear. Neli Nikolić, the Vice President of SNS for Zaječar, approached the journalist from Glasa Zaječara and warned him that he was unwelcome and should immediately leave the party event. This is the second time that Glasa Zaječara, which is 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, an unknown man approached Nenad Simović, the editor of the portal Likvidno, while he was attempting to take statements from gathered supporters of the SNS, and forcefully grabbed his right arm, saying: "Come on, get out. You don't have accreditation; this is a registered event." Simović had a visibly displayed press accreditation and had previously conducted a survey with citizens gathered at the Students' List event without any issues. The editor of the Likvidno portal 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 attempt 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 assaulted by local SNS officials and supporters. This practice of the ruling party deepens the polarization of society, creates an atmosphere of fear, increased tensions, and does not contribute to the conditions for holding fair and free elections on October 25. It seems that SNS is not backing down from its campaign of violence and preventing journalists from doing their jobs in reporting in the public interest and about 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 reporting to the public.

 Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project “Improvement of the Prevention and Response Mechanism in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Lives of Female and Male 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.