Report of UN Special Rapporteurs on Violence Against Journalists in Serbia
We are concerned about the violent nature of the threats, which seriously endanger journalists. We are particularly worried that the threats appear to be directly related to their work as journalists and their critical views on government policies, as stated in the report by Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Kan and Romero sent their report to the Government of Serbia on November 26, 2025, providing the Government with the opportunity to respond and send its comments. As they stated, both their report and the Government's response will be published after 60 days.
In the meantime, the Government's response has not arrived.
The report mentions, among other things:
"The aforementioned claims also raise questions about media freedoms in general, and if proven, indicate signs of interference in media independence. They point to instances of escalating attacks on journalists in the country, including journalists from N1, and a potentially deliberately orchestrated narrative campaign against independent media organizations, conducted and promoted by state officials.
Violence, including threats against journalists, is unacceptable and contrary to Serbia's obligations under international law.
Apart from the discouraging effect this situation has on freedom of expression and democracy in general, it also jeopardizes the physical safety of journalists and media workers in Serbia.
Particularly concerning is the fact that some of the attacks, including the use of force by the police, were recorded while journalists were carrying out their legitimate professional duties, wearing identification vests marked "press."
In the report from his visit to Serbia in April 2023, the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression already expressed concern over threats to media freedom and the safety of journalists and human rights defenders, calling for stronger political commitment as well as institutional and political reforms to address these issues.
Concerns have already been raised regarding the Government's response to recent protests and surrounding events, including the use of force and other methods of repression, arbitrary arrests, accusations, and detention of demonstrators (SRB 2/2025, SRB 6/2025), the use of spyware, and public smear campaigns against journalists and human rights activists (SRB 1/2025), as well as pressure on prosecutors and other judicial officials in Serbia (SRB 3/2025).
With this letter, in addition to previous concerns, we wish to clearly condemn the escalation of threats and attacks against independent journalists.
The claims mentioned indicate potential violations not only of the media's right to freedom of opinion and expression but also of the public's right to access information, which is particularly critical in times of crisis such as this.
The alleged public smear campaign against independent media and journalists, even from the highest levels of the Government, raises serious concerns about the stigmatization of dissenting voices and the potential abuse of state power to suppress legitimate expression and information dissemination.
In his report following the country visit, the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression already expressed concern over the lack of sanctions for harmful statements from certain media outlets and the possible inappropriate influence of political and commercial interests in Serbia.
At that time, he noted the absence of accountability for toxic verbal attacks, smear campaigns, intimidation, and threats, including death threats and threats of sexual and gender-based violence, against journalists and human rights activists.
In his report after the country visit, the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression expressed deep concern over the toxic public discourse in Serbia, including by politicians and populist media.
We reiterate this concern, which has contributed to the stigmatization of student demonstrators, journalists, and others who criticize the government.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the end of his visit to the country in May 2025, also expressed concern over the rise of hate speech and targeting of various groups, including journalists, as well as smear campaigns against media workers, and the involvement of high-ranking state officials in hate speech.
Similarly, during his visit to the country in 2022, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence expressed concern over the rise of radicalization and hate crimes, as well as threats and attacks on journalists and human rights defenders.
In line with our concerns expressed in SRB 1/2025, SRB 2/2025, and SRB 6/2025, we continue to be troubled by reports of restrictions on several rights, including freedom of opinion and expression and peaceful assembly.
These include, among other things, recent reports of increased threats and attacks on journalists, as well as the stigmatization of journalists, alongside students, human rights defenders, and other civil society actors.
We are concerned about the labeling of media houses and journalists as "terrorists" by other media and government representatives, including the President himself.
We again emphasize that, aside from seeming contrary to the presumption of innocence under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, this can have a discouraging effect on the realization of protected rights and freedoms.
We also express concern over the impunity of the alleged perpetrators.
Despite reports of the aforementioned threats and attacks submitted to the relevant prosecutor's offices and the Special Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime in Belgrade, reports indicate that no decisive action has been taken to conduct thorough investigations, apprehend the perpetrators, or provide adequate protection for journalists.
These claims, in addition to concerns from previous communications sent by the Special Procedures in recent months, raise serious concerns regarding the respect for democratic principles and the broader enjoyment of basic human rights for individuals in Serbia.
We call on Your Excellency, the Government of Serbia, to uphold the highest international legal standards in promoting and protecting human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, to adhere to its laws and policies, as well as international obligations to prohibit incitement to violence, hostility, and discrimination, as stated in Article 20, paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to discourage toxic public discourse, to promote an environment conducive to safe, healthy, and diverse public debate, and to ensure that all such threats to journalists are halted, taking concrete steps to prevent them from escalating into further violence.
In relation to the aforementioned alleged facts and concerns, we request that you refer to the Appendix on references of international human rights law, attached to this letter, which outlines the international instruments and human rights standards relevant to these claims.
As is our responsibility, within the mandate entrusted to us by the Human Rights Council, to seek clarification on all cases brought to our attention, we would appreciate your observations regarding the following issues:
Please provide any additional information and/or comments you may have concerning the aforementioned claims.
Please specify the steps taken by Your Excellency's Government to investigate the serious threats directed at N1 journalists, including the threat contained in a letter from N1 referencing Charlie Hebdo (Case #2534, Third Municipal Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade), the attack on the N1 film crew on November 20 in Belgrade, as well as other reports submitted to prosecutor's offices and the Special Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime, among others, regarding threats and attacks on N1 journalists.
Please provide detailed information on all investigations initiated against the alleged actions committed by law enforcement officials against journalists during protests, including reports of excessive use of force. Kindly indicate the number of such investigations, their current status, as well as any outcomes or disciplinary measures taken.
Please specify whether any protective measures have been taken to ensure the safety of N1 journalists and United Media employees, while they continue to receive the aforementioned threats, including death threats.
Please provide information on measures taken to ensure that civil society, independent media, and journalists can carry out their activities, including the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, in an environment that allows for work, free from threats, intimidation, and attacks, including the work of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.
Please provide information regarding the implementation of Serbia's Strategy for the Development of the Public Information System (2020–2025), particularly regarding measures to improve the position of journalists, as well as the implementation of the Law on Public Information and Media and the new Law on Electronic Media (October 26, 2023).
Please provide detailed information on the measures taken by the Government to ensure media independence, including independent media outlets such as N1, in Serbia.
This communication and any response we receive from Your Excellency's Government will be made public on the communication reporting website within 60 days. It will also subsequently be available in the usual report that will be presented to the Human Rights Council.
While we await a response, we call for all necessary interim measures to be taken to halt the alleged violations and prevent their recurrence, and in the event that investigations confirm or indicate that the claims are accurate, to ensure accountability for all individuals responsible for the alleged violations.
We may publicly express concern in the near future, as we believe that the information upon which a public statement will be based is sufficiently reliable to indicate an issue that requires urgent attention. We also believe that the broader public should be alerted to the potential consequences of the aforementioned claims. The public statement will state that we have been in contact with Your Excellency's Government to clarify the disputed issues."
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