The worst year for journalist safety in Serbia.
With absolute amnesty for crimes against citizens and journalists, Serbia has experienced a complete collapse of the rule of law and the end of its legal system. A country where no journalist's murder has been solved or punished, where the killers continue to walk free, is now recording its worst year in terms of journalist safety.
Since the beginning of 2025, the number of attacks, pressures, and threats has been increasing month by month, with reporters covering student and civic protests across Serbia being the most vulnerable.
The ominous genesis is further fueled by the fact that the police obstructed investigations into attacks on journalists last year – in half of the cases registered in the database of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, the police did not respond to the prosecutor's requests, nor did they take to the field to collect statements and evidence necessary to move the cases forward.
The same police “practice” has continued this year, but with one significant difference: the police not only fail to react when witnessing attacks on journalists, but often act according to the instructions of the very perpetrators. It has reached the point where police officers physically assault journalists on duty. Journalist associations have recorded dozens of such cases in recent months, with 14 police attacks on journalists reported during coverage of protests in August alone.
These are just some of the facts and conclusions presented by the interlocutors of Veran Matić, President of the ANEM Board – Maja Sever, President of the European Federation of Journalists, Tamara Radovanović, journalist of Južne vesti, and Mladen Savatović, reporter for N1 – in the latest episode of the weekly magazine Vreme's web series “Broader Picture.”
Speaking about the consequences of jeopardizing journalists' safety on media freedom, Matić emphasized that there has been no progress in the judiciary regarding the prosecution of attacks on journalists – only one case has been definitively concluded this year and last, in stark contrast to the three-digit number of attacks.
“Even if there are convictions, the president will grant amnesty,” Matić pointed out, adding that the decision of the Appellate Court to acquit those accused of the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija – following two first-instance sentences of 100 years in prison each – resembled a pardon rather than a verdict.
For journalists in the field, the impunity for attacks goes hand in hand with the repression to which they are constantly exposed. Tamara Radovanović described an attack she experienced on May 17 in Niš, when the SNS organized a rally for the Movement for People and the State alongside the student protests. An unknown man attempted to knock her phone out of her hand and told the police, “Remove her; she will cause a problem.” Instead of protecting her, the police removed her from the scene. Radovanović emphasizes that she still does not feel safe in the field today.
Mladen Savatović recalled an incident during the elections when he was filming voter migration from Smederevo to Belgrade. Although he was attacked by someone identified as an SNS official in Smederevo, that individual faced no consequences. It was only after a year and a half that the prosecutor's office decided not to initiate proceedings, bizarrely explaining that there was “no basis” since the N1 program had aired, and therefore there was no interference with the journalists’ work.
Speaking about the dangerous spiral of pressures, Matić reminded that the targeting of journalists starts with politicians, continues through tabloids, is then widely disseminated by bots on social networks, only to return again to tabloids – in a vicious cycle. He particularly highlighted the attacks on Vuk Cvijić from Radar and the ongoing targeting, threats, and pressures on the KRIK editorial team as particularly concerning.
Throughout this time, the European Commission emphasizes the selection of members of the REM Council as a top priority in its communication with the media community in Serbia, even though it is clear to everyone that independent functioning of that body cannot be expected under such conditions.
Maja Sever, President of the EFJ, emphasized that the organization regularly responds and prepares reports on the situation of journalists in Serbia. Reflecting on the joint mission of several European organizations in Belgrade, she noted that they were even accused of being “against Serbia's path to the EU” due to their conclusions. She added that she understands the frustration of journalists in Serbia, as the EU almost never adequately responds to their appeals regarding attacks and pressures.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
