The journalism department of SRG demands that the Ministry of Interior urgently identify and apprehend all attackers on journalists and citizens.

Only during the first few hours after the opening of polling stations, numerous attacks on students, observers, journalists, and citizens were reported by masked individuals or thugs dressed in black. According to eyewitness accounts, police members intervened each time in terms of maintaining public order and peace, but it remains unknown whether they have so far identified and detained the thugs.

Among those attacked was Zoomer journalist Darko Gligorijević, who was assaulted by unknown individuals in Bajina Bašta while reporting from the field. They first attempted to take his phone, then struck him in the head with a fist and sprayed him with pepper spray, despite his insistence that he was a journalist. Reporters from Mašina, Blokade info, and Politički globus Srbije were also subjected to incidents in Bajina Bašta. Ivana Marsenić, a freelance journalist with NUNS credentials, had her camera taken while covering the event, and the tires of the Insajder team’s vehicle were punctured.

On the other hand, instead of protecting and enabling journalists to report safely from local elections and ensuring the unhindered expression of citizens' electoral will, police detained Revolt journalist Ivan Bjelić this morning, citing that a "wanted notice" had been issued for him. We demand that the police immediately release Bjelić and publicly state the reasons for his detention.

Journalistic and media associations urge the relevant authorities to immediately start doing their job and ensure that the election day in 10 cities and municipalities proceeds peacefully and without incidents until the polling stations close, as well as to process all individuals who obstruct media representatives in their work and the expression of citizens' electoral will.

We remind that emergency telephone lines are available to media reporting from the field: ANEM Safe Line 0800 100 115, the emergency phone of the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) 060 688 22 31, while journalists can reach the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) at 062 530 337 and 064 941 04 89.

We call on all journalists and media representatives to report any threats, pressure, attacks, and other forms of obstruction in their work and threats to their safety to these phone numbers. All information will be communicated and forwarded to the on-call members of the SRG, who are in contact with points of contact in the police and prosecutor's offices.

The SRG, established in January 2017, includes representatives from the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Serbia, as well as six journalistic and media associations – the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Media Association (AM), the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Association of Online Media (AOM), and the OSCE Mission in Serbia in an observer status.