Reporters Without Borders warns of the increasing number of journalists from Serbia in exile, an unprecedented situation in the EU-Balkan region.

They have fled, yet they continue to face threats. Journalist Marko Vidojković, columnist for the daily newspaper Danas and host of the podcast "Dobar, loš, zao," broadcast by the Serbian online service Nova.rs, left Serbia in 2023 due to death threats after being targeted in a public smear campaign led by President Aleksandar Vučić. Despite this, on August 16, 2026, calls for his assassination were made, according to data from the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS). The police investigation into the threats against Marko Vidojković has not yielded results so far.

Marko Vidojković is one of six Serbian journalists working in exile, according to information from RSF. One left in 2024, and another four left Serbia this year.

The latest departure is that of Aleksandar Radić, a freelance journalist specialized in military issues. He was among the first to publicly state—consistent with reports from other media—that sonic weapons were likely used against participants in the anti-government protest in Belgrade on March 15, 2025. The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has since been investigating whether this report was fabricated. Radić was detained for an "informative interview," after which pro-government media released surveillance footage showing him and his minor daughter, along with his private conversations with other journalists. Under threats of political attacks and potential arrest, Aleksandar Radić left Serbia at the end of June 2026. The Ministry of Internal Affairs filed a criminal complaint on July 17, accusing him of preparing acts against the constitutional order and security of Serbia and of disclosing confidential information.

The Spiral of Violence Against Journalists

RSF knows the identities and EU host countries of other journalists in exile but has decided to withhold information for their safety. After uncovering abuses of power and corruption and critically reporting on the Serbian government for national and local media, these journalists have been the subject of smear campaigns fueled by the government, amplified by pro-government media, and victims of arbitrary law enforcement measures, abusive lawsuits, death threats, and even physical violence.

A recent report on media freedom, backed by RSF, condemned the spiral of violence affecting the entire journalistic profession in Serbia. In 2025, RSF highlighted Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as a “predator of press freedom.”

Although the European Commission (EC) concluded in July in its Rule of Law Report that “the safety of journalists has further deteriorated” in Serbia, in the same month, the EC proposed opening a new cluster of chapters in Serbia's accession negotiations, believing that an essential overall balance had been achieved. Eight member states objected, citing the rule of law situation and effectively blocking the opening of new negotiation chapters.

Serbia ranked 104th out of 180 countries and territories in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by RSF, the lowest position among 40 countries in the EU-Balkan zone.

Source: Reporters Without Borders