ANEM alert: Multiple cases of police violence against journalists, reports of abuse of authority.

In Zaječar, the police physically prevented journalist Miljko Stojanović from reporting on an event in the city. During this incident, one police officer pushed him and knocked him to the ground, knocking his mobile phone out of his hand. His colleague, Anđela Risantijević, attempted to protect him by shielding him with her body, emphasizing that they were journalists, but she too was pushed aside.

After the incident, Miljko Stojanović approached Police Chief Igor Jeftić near the Timok cinema to report the assault. The chief told him to go to the police station and file a report there. When Stojanović reiterated that he was filing the report directly with him, the chief snatched his phone and shoved him, after which members of the intervention unit approached, struck him, and physically pushed him away.

Today, journalist Daria Stjepić of the Mašina portal in Novi Sad was obstructed by the police from reporting and was shoved, despite clearly identifying herself and presenting her credentials as a journalist multiple times, as evidenced by a video posted on the media's Instagram profile.

A recording was also made showing a member of the Gendarmerie first preventing the filming, and then dragging and identifying journalist Brankica Matić from Storyteller after she stated that she had not seen any inappropriate behavior from an older citizen who was being apprehended.

Members of the gendarmerie today seized the phone from journalist Dalibor Stupar of Beta and Autonomija and took him away while he was filming gatherings of pro-regime supporters arriving in Novi Sad by bus.

“A member of the gendarmerie took my phone and removed me while I was filming the apprehension of a citizen. I said that I was not disrupting anything and that I was standing alone in an empty space. Then they took me behind the cordon and returned my phone. Even though I was wearing a yellow vest and had press credentials, and I told him that I was a journalist, he said that he was not interested and that I had no right to disrupt their actions,” said Dalibor Stupar.

This afternoon in Novi Sad, a man attacked N1 journalist Lea Apro, who was reporting on gatherings of regime supporters, as well as gatherings organized by citizen assemblies. The man initially threatened the journalist, asking what she was doing and why she was filming, and although she tried to distance herself, he continued to follow her, entered her shot, and then grabbed her arm and took her phone. Members of the assemblies helped the journalist stop the man from escaping with her phone. Members of the gendarmerie apprehended him.

ANEM assesses the conduct of the police toward journalists as extremely unprofessional, unacceptable, and contrary to their authority, which is why we will report all cases to the internal control unit for exceeding authority.

We remind that during 2025, a record number of threats, pressures, and attacks on media representatives has been recorded in the recent history of Serbia, while the police have often failed to act and protect journalists and media freedom. In addition to police passivity, it is concerning that the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia has reported 22 attacks on journalists in August and September, including by police representatives.

ANEM calls on the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications to respond to the unacceptable obstruction of media work by the police and appeals once again to all relevant institutions to urgently cease such attempts to suppress media freedom in Serbia.

We also urge all journalists and media representatives to regularly report any threats to their safety while carrying out their work. A free phone number and direct line to ANEM is available to all journalists: 0800 100 115, where media representatives can receive explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures to follow in order to report threats to their safety to the relevant authorities, police, and prosecution.

Veran Matić, President of the Management Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" is 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.

The OSCE Mission to Serbia supported ANEM's project "24/7 SOS hotline for assistance to journalists and other endangered media workers," as part of the project funded by the European Union "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia."