ANEM: Why is the journalist from Vremena prohibited from reporting on the military exercise?

As reported by Vreme, when the journalist arrived at the gate of the barracks in Topčider at the scheduled time, 8:30 AM, the military police officer checked the list and informed him that his name was not on it and that he could not enter the parking lot, where colleagues with accreditations were already present. Lukač did not receive an answer even when he called one of the officers whose name was listed as a contact person.

“I will now exercise all legal rights to seek justice to the fullest extent, as they have violated several laws by preventing me from working. In addition to filing a criminal complaint against the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, I will also complain to the Protector of Citizens, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights, and I will seek protection from journalistic organizations due to the obstruction of my right to work and discrimination,” announced Lukač.

This is not the first time Lukač has been banned from reporting on events organized by the Ministry of Defense. The same situation occurred last year during the military parade held in Belgrade.

ANEM believes that the role of the media in reporting on public events organized by state institutions is crucial for a democratic society and for processes that concern all citizens. Therefore, we call on the Ministry of Defense to explain without delay why the journalist from Vreme was denied access to the event it organized.

“Preventing journalists who possess specialized knowledge in the fields of military and security from covering events such as military exercises, which are simultaneously broadcast on multiple national frequency television channels, represents a clear attempt to demonstrate the true nature of the authorities' relationship with professional media. Davor Lukač has repeatedly been obstructed by police and military personnel from performing his journalistic duties, and none of those who hindered him, even violently, have faced sanctions. Last week, military analyst Nedeljnika Aleksandar Radić was detained, his apartment was searched, and he was subsequently subjected to surveillance, while a pro-government tabloid television aired footage of his underage daughter being filmed without permission during her daily activities, forcing him to leave the country. It is evident that the authorities, despite their control over most media, do not wish to allow independent media and professional journalists to attend public events, intending to limit access to facts and shape reality according to their own interests. Professional informing of citizens about topics and events of public interest must not be prohibited, nor is discrimination against media in granting accreditations for covering events permissible. Such practices do not contribute to the development of the rule of law and democratic values but hinder media from fulfilling their oversight role and ensuring transparency in the work of institutions,” stated Veran Matić, President of the ANEM Management Board.

We also call on the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications to urgently respond in such situations and instruct all state institutions to ensure journalists and media have unobstructed access to events of public interest.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)