Journalists, police, and the prosecution should be allies in protecting integrity.

The meeting of members of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists was held in Požega, attended by representatives from the journalists' associations NUNS and UNS, media representatives from Nova S, N1, Epicentar, Ozon Press, ANEM, as well as representatives from the public prosecutor's offices in Užice, Čačak, and Požega, along with police departments in Požega and Užice, supported by the OSCE Mission in Serbia. The reason for the meeting was the increasing number of incidents threatening the safety of journalists, along with the noticeable lack of adequate police response and insufficient efficiency of the prosecutor's office in prosecuting attackers.

"According to the records of criminal complaints regarding the safety of journalists at the Public Prosecutor's Office, as of April 31st, there are 27 cases. Conversations have mostly been conducted with the victims, and only in one case has a criminal complaint been filed, while one was dismissed. That is all we have achieved in the first four months. We have no convictions, even though the number of physical attacks on journalists and media workers has drastically increased since the beginning of November 2024. Camera operators are particularly vulnerable and defenseless. Another worrying trend is that out of 62 cases at the Public Prosecutor's Office in 2024, in 34 cases the police did not even respond to requests for gathering information and evidence. Since 2016, it has not been recorded that more than half of the cases have not been investigated by the police," emphasized Veran Matić, President of the ANEM Managing Board and member of the Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.

Journalists' associations are also concerned about the dramatic increase in the number of pressures and attacks on media representatives this year, said Marija Babić from NUNS.

"For comparison, in 2024, a total of 166 attacks and pressures have been recorded, while for 2025 we already have 134. Particularly concerning are the 19 physical attacks this year, while the entire previous year had a total of 17. The police's non-response to attacks since the beginning of student protests is very problematic, coupled with impunity and an insufficient number of resolved cases. Even the European Federation of Journalists has adopted a resolution and expressed concern about the increasing insecurity and impunity for attacks on journalists in Serbia," highlighted Marija Babić.

Stojan Marković, owner of Ozon Press, complained about the large number of lawsuits his editorial team receives every time they write an article mentioning an incident involving someone from the ruling structure.

"Our journalist Nebojša Jovanović was attacked at a gathering on April 12th in Belgrade. The local SNS committee chairman in Čačak verbally threatened to call in his boys for intervention because, in his view, the police are not acting effectively. We have had numerous situations where representatives of the authorities and the ruling party verbally insult and threaten citizens, and if we publish an article, we receive a lawsuit from those individuals claiming we are spreading panic and disturbing the public. We are threatened with five years in prison. This is pressure from the authorities on the media not to do their job. But the prosecutor's office, which has decided to even initiate proceedings based on such a lawsuit, also exerts pressure on us, as does the police, who interrogate us," stated Marković.

There have been multiple complaints against Stojan Marković and Nebojša Jovanović, but all have been dismissed, claims Vladimir Brković, a public prosecutor at the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Čačak.

"We usually request that the police conduct an interview with both sides. This is just standard procedure. However, in these cases, the proceedings were not initiated because it was assessed that there was no basis," he stated.

Milena Gavrilović, a journalist for the Epicentar portal from Čačak, says she has a correct relationship with the police in Čačak, but when the situation is tense and an incident occurs, by the expressions on the faces of the police and their behavior, it is evident that they have a problem and that they cannot react, which, according to her, is disheartening.

"Compared to a few months ago, the situation in Čačak is 50% worse on the ground. Not only are we, the local media, economically on the brink of survival, but in terms of safety, the situation is such that we no longer see a way out. Threats and insults on social media do not cease, and I have received 'friendly advice' not to react to cyber attacks, especially from a certain individual, because it was suggested to me that this could spill over into reality. If I have ten news stories, I have threats and insults beneath all ten. This has been ongoing since the end of last year. People have started to notice and ask if we need help. We all know each other. Moreover, we all know who these individuals are that threaten; they are not hidden accounts. They do not even hide because they know that no one will react to it," Gavrilović recounted.

In response to Veran Matić's question directed at representatives of the police departments in Čačak and Užice about why the police do not react in situations of obvious attacks on the media, Marko Jašović from the Užice Police Department said:

"Until now, I have not been in a situation where a journalist is attacked in my presence, so I can only express my personal opinion and what I would do. I would strive to react in accordance with the law and provide protection to the journalist, while detaining the attacker, regardless of whether the case would have a resolution in court. I believe that in such situations, immediate action is necessary, even if there is no criminal offense. But I cannot speak on behalf of my colleagues," he clarified.

This should not be an individual matter, believes Marija Babić from NUNS.

"It is the duty of the police to ensure that someone who is attacked is protected by law enforcement," she said.

Attacks and threats are accumulating; we appeal to the police and the prosecutor's office to react, warned Matić.

"In a few days, it will be the anniversary of Milan Pantić's murder. This case has not been resolved due to a lack of political will and the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime, which did not want to take over the case. We live in the shadow of three unresolved murders, and now we fear that this could happen to journalists, our colleagues, today. We know that both the police and the prosecutor's office are under enormous pressure and that their safety is also at risk. The rhetoric of the highest government officials, including the president, towards prosecutors and judges creates conditions for destabilizing the legal system to its limits. We appeal to the police and the prosecutor's office to act so that we can together stop these negative trends. They will always have their allies in protecting integrity among us journalists because we all perform a job that is important for citizens, important for all of us," emphasized Matić.

Representatives of the prosecutor's office appealed to media representatives to always report and inquire about their cases in the event of an attack. Because their stance and testimony are, as they say, of crucial importance for the case.

After the meeting in Požega, representatives of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists and representatives of journalists' associations visited media outlets in Kosjerić ahead of the local elections in that city. They also visited local journalist Aleksa Pavlović, who was attacked at the end of May this year by a supporter and activist of the Serbian Progressive Party.

This project is supported by the European Union and the Balkan Fund for Democracy.