Brussels concerned about the targeting of journalist Veran Matić.

The European Commission is concerned about the ongoing campaign to discredit journalist Veran Matić, as well as other journalists in Serbia, a spokesperson for the Commission stated to Radio Free Europe (RFE).

He noted that independent media are "a key pillar of European democracy," and that journalists must work "freely, without fear or intimidation."

"This is the essence of media freedom in the European Union, and the same is expected from candidate countries for membership, including Serbia," the spokesperson for the Commission said.

The targeting of Veran Matić began at the end of January with the airing of a film that was shown on government-aligned television stations and later published on numerous pro-government portals.

In the film titled "Evil Age 2: Creating Propaganda," Matić is labeled as an "auto-shovinist" and a person who harbors "hatred towards everything Serbian," while the unnamed authors also accused him of embezzling a large sum of money.

The film was backed by the organization Center for Social Stability based in Novi Sad.

This Center has also endorsed films that deny the genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica in 1995 and the war crime against Kosovo Albanians in the village of Račak in 1999.

Following the film about Veran Matić, the Center announced on Instagram "upcoming episodes" along with a list of names of more than 40 journalists from Serbia "whom they will target."

Information Minister Boris Bratina stated that he does not believe that publishing the list constitutes targeting and endangering journalists.

"I don’t see who should be afraid. Many journalists have been attacked from both sides. If we were to express concern, we could do so in general. The series itself does not seem to me to be a cause for that," Bratina said on February 13 to N1 television.

Media associations filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime on February 8 due to the airing of the film about Veran Matić.

The Prosecutor's Office did not respond to RFE's inquiry about whether they have initiated proceedings.

The European Commission reminded RFE of the latest report on Serbia's progress, which states that although the country has amended its media legislation to further align it with European standards, "there has been a regression as the environment for journalists, media professionals, and media outlets has seriously deteriorated."

According to data from the Council of Europe's Platform for the Promotion of the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists, Serbia had the highest number of attacks on journalists in 2025 compared to other countries in the Western Balkans.

In the report by the international organization Freedom House from February 2025, Serbia was listed among the countries with the most significant decline in freedoms over the past decade.

One of the reasons cited is the tightening of media control and attacks on journalists.

Source: Radio Free Europe