"This is obviously state policy": Veran Matić on the attacks against journalists.

According to data from the Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS), over 280 attacks on journalists have been recorded in Serbia since the beginning of 2025. As reported by the Independent Journalists' Society of Vojvodina, many media workers, specifically journalists from Razglas, N1, and Blokade.info, were attacked last night in Novi Sad.

“Since November 5th of last year, we have been experiencing an epidemic of attacks on journalists, physical attacks on journalists. On that day, there were several attacks on journalistic teams, physical assaults, and this has continued to this day, resulting in a horrifying number and a doubling of threats against female and male journalists,” Veran Matić, President of the Managing Board of ANEM, stated for Mašina, adding that Novi Sad is a place where the gendarmerie and intervention units treat female and male journalists in the most brutal manner, especially female journalists.

“We saw yesterday that girls and women were brutally attacked at this gathering, as if someone is taking revenge in Novi Sad for the fact that it is a rebellious city and that they simply could not overlook the crime that occurred there,” Matić emphasizes.

Once again, an attack occurred yesterday against Žarko Bogosavljević from Razglas, Matić reminds us.

“He has been physically attacked over thirty times, despite having a very high level of security awareness and being well-equipped. Yesterday, he posed no threat to anyone; it was evident, as he recorded everything, showing exactly where he was and how he was pushed without any reason. Following that, there were several more pushes against journalists, which is completely unacceptable,” Matić stated for Mašina.

The President of the Managing Board of ANEM emphasizes that a serious protocol must be established and an order issued from the top of the Ministry of Interior and from the unit commander that journalists must be protected. “This is clearly a state policy, or an order to deal with journalists, because journalists are the ones who present to the public everything that is happening. Therefore, the role of every journalist is very important, and it is evident that the police and state authorities are aware of this, which is why they intentionally perpetrate violence against journalists. This is absolutely unacceptable, and Serbia is, as we can see, at the worst possible positions on international lists regarding the safety of journalists,” Matić concludes.

Source: Mašina.rs