Report of the MFRR Mission in Serbia: Media Freedom in a State of Emergency

The report notes that threats escalated following student protests regarding the tragic collapse of the canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, and the sharp response from the authorities further exacerbated political tensions, spilling onto the streets and manifesting in attacks on journalists reporting from the field.

It is reported that journalists have been subjected to physical attacks, death threats, targeting by high-ranking state officials, spying, and orchestrated smear campaigns. All of this, as stated in the MFRR report, occurs in an atmosphere of impunity, with a chronic absence of response from the relevant institutions.

“Working in a hostile environment has serious psychological consequences for journalists, who are additionally burdened by financial costs of self-defense against malicious lawsuits aimed at intimidating and discrediting their work,” the report states.

MFRR emphasizes that acute security challenges are unfolding in the broader context of systemic media capture, which has become a central issue in the protests for democratic reforms in Serbia.

In a show of solidarity, partners of the European Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) platform organized a support mission to Serbia, during which they visited Belgrade and Novi Sad between April 7 and 9.

During the mission, they met with journalists from various media outlets – from local to national, from the private and public sectors – as well as with unions, representatives of civil society, police, prosecutors, and international organizations such as the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the EU Delegation in Serbia.

Following this visit to Serbia, MFRR released a report whose conclusions and recommendations you can see below, and the original version in English is available at the following link.

Key Findings

Journalist Safety

MFRR observes that journalist safety in Serbia is in a state of crisis, requiring urgent measures to ensure the public's access to reliable information in the country. By May 2, 2025, MFRR had already documented 64 violations of press freedom targeting 128 individuals or entities connected to the media in 2025.

This includes eight cases of physical attacks, 12 attacks on property (e.g., recording equipment), 40 verbal assaults (including death threats and smear campaigns), 14 incidents related to censorship, and five legal cases. These numbers, recorded during the first four months of 2025, show a significant increase compared to 2024, when the total number of registered incidents was 84 for the entire year.

Since the tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024, there have been at least 60 attacks on journalists and media outlets, including young journalists, due to their reporting on the fatal incident and subsequent protests that spread across Serbia. During the MFRR mission, the delegation learned that investigative journalists working in local or regional communities are likely more isolated and exposed to attacks, including self-censorship.

Among the recorded violations of media freedom since November 1, 15 attacks originated from state officials, including President Vučić, through dangerous public statements that incite further online threats, smear campaigns, and physical violence. State officials do not hesitate to spread falsehoods to silence critical voices, regardless of the risk to journalists' safety.

Abuse of Spyware Against Journalists

Serbia is among European countries – and the only EU candidate country – where there is significant evidence of the abuse of spyware by state authorities against journalists, according to MFRR monitoring, which poses a serious threat to media freedom and the protection of journalistic sources.

The MFRR mission consistently raised the issue of spyware with key stakeholders in Serbia, including the EU Delegation. Following the publication of the Amnesty International report, the Ombudsman’s Office and the Commissioner for Data Protection initiated their investigations. However, considering the level of state capture in Serbia, it is unlikely that these investigations will yield results. At the same time, however, a criminal complaint has been filed against the prosecutor for high-tech crime. The mission inquired about this specific case.

The police confirmed that they received the case from the prosecutor and that it is currently being investigated and evidence is being collected. Neither the police nor the prosecutors could confirm when the evidence collection would be completed, as they stated that there is no strict deadline for the investigation's conclusion.

Given the lack of concrete deadlines, the previous stance of the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the use of spyware and the prevailing impunity for attacks on journalists, not much can be expected from the outcome of the investigation. It remains important to give high priority to the case and to continuously pressure the authorities to pursue this investigation.

SLAPP Lawsuits

In addition to physical attacks and intimidation, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) are a major concern for many independent journalists and media in Serbia.

These lawsuits, aimed at silencing public watchdogs, including the media, not only have a chilling or discouraging effect but also burden the budgets of affected media outlets. In its annual report on SLAPPs for 2024, the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) included Serbia among the top three countries with the highest number of SLAPPs.

While KRIK is the most extreme example of (in some cases, coordinated) attempts to silence journalists through the courts, many other independent media in Serbia also struggle with the impact that SLAPPs have on their resources and capacities. This is evident from the ongoing monitoring of SLAPPs in Serbia by the National Working Group Against SLAPPs in Serbia, MFRR, and the CASE coalition.

During the MFRR mission, journalists from various media highlighted this issue. They particularly noted that even when they take extensive measures to “protect against SLAPPs” through rigorous pre-publication checks and well-developed “right of reply” processes, there are no mechanisms – such as early dismissal, expedited procedures, or full cost orders – that would mitigate the impact on time and resources for media if parties involved still initiate SLAPP proceedings. This impact is felt particularly acutely because the media in question have often already been attacked in other ways.

The extreme pressure these lawsuits exert on the resources and capacities of independent media to report in the public interest further underscores the urgent need for Serbian authorities to implement effective measures to curb SLAPPs. Such measures should go beyond mere training for the judiciary and the media.

While training is relevant, it does not prevent the destructive impact of many current SLAPP cases, as it does not affect the ability of, for example, public officials and members of the judiciary to initiate SLAPPs and does not limit the costs and impact of these lawsuits on media and civil society as a whole.

Media Capture and Media Legislation

Media freedom, media pluralism, and independent journalism in Serbia continue to be undermined by one of the most robust systems of media capture anywhere in Europe.

Political influence over private media, the state broadcaster, the media regulation system, and the system for distributing state advertising remains high. These acute levels of control in the media ecosystem have long been entrenched but have come under scrutiny in recent months amid protests and calls for democratic media reform.

Among the results of this long-standing media capture in Serbia are persistently weak media pluralism, non-transparent and unfair distribution of state advertising to media close to the authorities at the expense of investigative journalism, unclear media ownership, a highly controlled public service that mostly represents the views of the authorities, as well as very ineffective regulation of the media space, which contributes to poor media ethics, the spread of disinformation, pro-Russian propaganda, and a culture of violence, particularly in tabloid media.

Recommendations

Journalist Safety

• The state authorities must end all verbal pressures and dangerous smear campaigns against journalists and media houses. Public discourse should promote respect for media freedom and the safety of media workers.
• The authorities must cease all illegal police actions against media and journalists, including raids in offices.
• Media organizations should strengthen internal security measures in their newsrooms and develop tailored safety protocols, including strategies for risk mitigation and emergency response mechanisms.
• The authorities should implement specialized training programs for police officers and judicial officials to improve their response and ensure the consistent application of protective measures aimed at digital and physical safety. Adequate funding should be allocated for this purpose.
• The authorities must enhance transparency and communication in investigations by proactively providing updates on inquiries related to journalists. Journalists or their legal teams should not bear the burden of seeking information.
• Law enforcement agencies should ensure accountability in security assessments. Journalists currently do not receive explanations when the Ministry of Internal Affairs denies protective measures. Even if the negative security assessment is classified as a confidential document, a written summary or standardized notification form should be provided, allowing for appeals without disclosing sensitive content.
• The police should investigate cyber harassment and hold technology platforms accountable. Online campaigns, including impersonation and digital threats, must be thoroughly investigated. Technology platforms should be required to respond swiftly and transparently to illegal content. Any action must comply with international standards of freedom of expression. The government must align its responses with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), ensuring that platforms operate with clear procedures, transparency, and effective legal protection mechanisms.
• The Serbian authorities must ensure justice for past murders of journalists. This should include a thorough investigation of the murders of Dada Vujasinović, Milan Pantić, and continued efforts to secure justice in the case of Slavko Ćuruvija.

Abuse of Spyware Against Journalists

• The authorities in Serbia should conduct an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into all reported cases of spyware, including those mentioned in the Amnesty International report. They should also provide effective legal remedies for victims of unlawful surveillance and hold perpetrators accountable.
• The Serbian intelligence services, police authorities, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Government should immediately provide transparent information about the cyber surveillance capabilities they possess and their use against journalists, as well as information about any existing contracts with private surveillance firms, any of which could represent a violation of the country's laws.
• The Ombudsman and the Commissioner for Data Protection should encourage citizens to report suspected cases of spyware usage to their offices and initiate their own investigations ex officio.
• The EU should closely monitor the progress of investigations into spyware cases to assess Serbia's progress concerning commitments made under Chapter 23.
• Given the increasing evidence of the use of Pegasus by Serbian authorities, the NSO Group should initiate an urgent internal review of all existing contracts with Serbian authorities, consider repeated violations of terms of use, and promptly revoke all existing contracts, as well as urgently reconsider its procedures to prevent the misuse of its products by states.

SLAPP Lawsuits

• The Government of the Republic of Serbia should fully implement the anti-SLAPP standards included in the EU Directive against SLAPPs, as well as the Council of Europe’s Recommendation on SLAPPs, to enhance the protection of journalists and media from SLAPPs. Such standards should include mechanisms that allow SLAPP targets to request early dismissal of cases, seek damages for filing SLAPP lawsuits, require full cost recovery in SLAPP cases, and demand expedited proceedings to limit the impact of the case.
• The Serbian authorities should refrain from abusing judicial processes against their critics and should publicly condemn and sanction the use of SLAPPs by public officials against public watchdogs, including journalists and media.

Media Capture and Media Legislation

• The Committee for Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia and the parliament must ensure that the new process for appointing members of the REM Council is conducted in a fair, independent, and transparent manner, without political influence. Candidates should be selected based on their relevant skills, experience, proven independence, and commitment to media freedom, rather than their political affiliation.
• The government must ensure that REM has the necessary financial resources to allow its administrative body to carry out its mandate in a professional and sustainable manner.
• The Government of Serbia should gradually align REM and the Press Councils with the provisions of the European Directive on audiovisual and media services and the recently adopted European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).
• When a new REM Council is appointed, it must ensure that the appointment process for the Boards of RTS and RTV is conducted in a fair, non-discriminatory, professional, and transparent manner, leading to positive reforms in broadcasting and an increase in pluralistic reporting.
• Political leaders and parties must refrain from any political interference in the free and independent operations of RTV and RTS to ensure that both public media operate in a balanced and professional manner, providing fair allocation of broadcasting time to different political views and parties and adequately reporting stories of public interest.
• The government should implement a system for the transparent distribution of state advertising in a fair and equitable manner, requiring timely publication of all government and state advertising expenditures, categorized by amount and recipient, on a publicly accessible platform. Reports on the impact of state advertising on media pluralism should be published, including any impact or disruption of competition.
• The government and parliament should reform the Law on Public Information and Media and the Law on Electronic Media to remove the controversial provision allowing for full or indirect ownership of media by the state or companies with partial state ownership, as outlined in the Media Strategy.
• Political authorities should enhance transparency requirements for media ownership by updating existing legislation to include explicit requirements for full disclosure of ownership structures and all forms of beneficial ownership.
• Authorities should improve the Media Registry of the Business Registers Agency of the Republic of Serbia and the Registry of Electronic Media of REM to ensure both are better able to provide updated and easily searchable information on media ownership transparency.
• All political officials and parties must refrain from all forms of inappropriate influence on private media owners and respect the independence of all media houses, while also refraining from exerting pressure on editorial policies and decisions through personal relationships or political connections.

Recommendations to the European Union

• Publicly condemn all attacks on journalists and civil society actors receiving threats, physical attacks, and legal threats as a result of their work.
• Publicly and consistently question Serbian authorities about the status of investigations into attacks on journalists.
• Publicly condemn unlawful digital surveillance and the use of spyware against journalists and civil society organizations and raise this issue in high-level meetings with senior officials, including the President of Serbia.
• Consider suspending negotiations with Serbian authorities on Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) of the EU accession process until significant and sustainable reforms regarding media freedom, media pluralism, and journalist safety are implemented, in accordance with the recommendations provided in the EU's annual reports on enlargement and the rule of law, as well as the reports of numerous media freedom and civil society organizations.

This text is reproduced from the portal NUNS.