The International and European Federation of Journalists are calling on the Serbian police to stop the violence against journalists.
The International and European Federation of Journalists have called on the police in Serbia to immediately stop the violence against journalists and to protect them while reporting on conflicts during the protests.
The General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Anthony Bellanger, stated that violence and intimidation are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a deliberate campaign aimed at "silencing journalists who are simply doing their job."
"This cannot be allowed. We demand that the police stop the violence against journalists and protect them. When journalists are attacked or threatened, it is an attack on democracy itself," Bellanger said.
The General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Ricardo Gutiérrez, stated that the organization, along with its partners in Serbia, is documenting all cases of violence against journalists, that the perpetrators have been identified, and that they will be held accountable.
"It is clear that Serbian authorities are actively involved in a brutal crackdown on journalists who are merely trying to do their jobs," Gutiérrez said.
The statement notes that the IFJ and EFJ join the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (IJAS-NUNS) in calling for the police to "immediately stop the violence against journalists and protect them while they report on the clashes between rival groups of demonstrators in Serbia," adding that months of anti-government protests have turned into street violence.
The IFJ reminds that during the protests on August 14 in front of the General Staff building, supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party approached journalists who found themselves between the two opposing sides.
"Given that there was no police cordon established between the journalists and the SNS supporters, the SNS supporters organized and with the intent to attack and intimidate rushed towards the journalists, insulting them," the statement published on the IFJ website on August 18 states.
The statement also recalls the case when plainclothes police officers in Novi Sad prevented journalist Marina Nenadović from the Zoomer portal from recording the arrest and harassment of a citizen by the police, as well as when members of the police brigade harassed a photojournalist in New Belgrade for photographing the police.
The statement highlights the threats received by TV Nova correspondent from Novi Sad, Sanja Ignjatović Eker, and TV N1 journalists, Žaklina Tatalović and Mladen Savatović.
"In recent days, the highest state officials, with the support of pro-government tabloids, have intensified a coordinated campaign against N1 and Nova (United Media), labeling these networks as 'media poisoners' and even 'terrorist organizations,'" the statement reads.
IFJ and EFJ have called on the judicial authorities of Serbia to initiate necessary legal proceedings and urged high state officials to stop their smear campaigns against journalists.
Source: N1
