Representatives of the international community are calling for the protection of journalists in Serbia: "Media workers are at risk."

At the conference "Journalism Under Fire: The Era of Unfreedom and Unwavering Profession," a call was made for all journalists, editors, judges, prosecutors, representatives of the international community, and society to help improve the relationship with journalists, accelerate institutional responses, strengthen resilience in newsrooms, and support colleagues who are facing intimidation.

The Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, Janoš Babić, stated that the European Court of Human Rights consistently emphasizes that freedom of expression, protected by the Human Rights Convention, is the foundation of any democratic society.

He noted that institutions should defend journalists from threats, refrain from misconduct, and combat cases of impunity, highlighting new pressures on the media, including SLAPP lawsuits that are increasing to intimidate journalists.

"These cases are often unfounded and aim to silence journalists through lengthy and costly procedures, rather than seeking justice," said Babić, pointing out that the Council of Europe has issued recommendations on how to handle SLAPP lawsuits, and that the EU has adopted an anti-SLAPP directive, all of which sends a message that legal harassment has no place in a democratic society.

Babić supported alignment with the directive on audiovisual media services, based on which the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media has adopted four subordinate legislative acts - for the protection of minors, regulation of political advertising, and respect for human rights.

"The safety of journalists is not a sectoral issue, but a democratic imperative. By protecting free media, we protect the rights of all citizens," emphasized Babić.

The Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Andreas von Bekerat, expressed that the EU is concerned about the increasing pressure and attacks on journalists, especially in the context of student and civic protests, including incidents where police were involved.

"According to the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia, there were 46 attacks on journalists in August, and from March to August 20, there were 51 cases where the police did not respond to attacks or actively prevented journalists from reporting," noted Bekerat, reminding that three journalists have been killed in Serbia.

He called on high officials to refrain from attacking journalists and stated that the EU expects Serbia to establish an environment where media freedom and freedom of speech can be possible without any obstacles.

The Acting Permanent Representative of the UN in Serbia, Sufiyan Ađali, pointed out that it is very important to regulate artificial intelligence in today's age, adding that the UN has adopted a global digital package that must include all countries so they can freely fulfill their duties and obligations.

The representative of the Swiss Embassy, Richard Holi, stated that social media has changed public discourse, that information spreads rapidly, and that public trust in public media is eroding.

"Amid all these challenges, we see the resilience of journalists who continue to investigate, ask important questions, and tell stories that matter, all due to their deep commitment to the public interest," said Holi, assessing that democracy is under threat when free journalism is under threat.

Source: N1