SafeJournalists: Institutions must urgently respond to the wave of threats against journalists in Serbia.
The SafeJournalists network condemns a series of threats directed at journalists in Serbia in recent days, as well as an obviously organized smear campaign on the social network X against N1 television journalist Ana Novaković.
Three days ago, after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić insulted N1 television journalist Mladen Savatović at a press conference, a wave of threats directed at him followed on social media and comments on the portal. The journalist was initially threatened by one individual who said they would wait for him outside the newsroom, and the day after that, threats appeared on social media.
“...not even a hundred cameras will save you, you Ustaša bastard,” “You will lose your ears, you treacherous scum,” “...You really should be taught a lesson...,” are some of the messages received by the journalist over the past three days.
On the social media platform X, threats were also directed at the N1 newsroom. A user of the platform X under the pseudonym “Duck” shared a video of the Russian police storming the newsroom of the “Ura.ru” portal in Yekaterinburg, along with the message: “I want to storm N1 like this.”
In subsequent messages with new illustrations, it was stated, “Everything should be burned. First RTS...,” to which another account responded: “Don’t go alone; there are those of us who would gladly keep you company.”
Marko Vidojković and Nenad Kulačin, the hosts of the show “Good, Bad, Evil,” have also received a series of threats in recent days, the latest being a comment on the Instagram account of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), which followed a statement from ANEM regarding previous threats against Vidojković and Kulačin.
This time, the comment under the post read, “Enough threats; let’s move to actions,” as well as a threatening comment, “Come on, get rid of them. Provocateurs, annoying.”
Once again, journalist Brankica Stanković from Insajder television has come under attack from fan groups. Specifically, on Wednesday during the match Partizan – Virtus in the Euroleague, threatening chants against the journalist were once again heard. It should be noted that Brankica Stanković was previously assigned 24-hour security by the Ministry of Interior based on security assessments due to her series “(In)ability of the State” about hooligans. Recently, chants against Brankica Stanković at Partizan matches have become frequent.
In addition to threats, the SafeJournalists network particularly highlights an organized smear campaign on social media X directed against N1 journalist Ana Novaković. Following her reporting on the case initiated by the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office against Culture Minister Nikola Selaković, she received a large number of offensive, sexist, and misogynistic comments, clearly indicating coordinated targeting of the journalist due to her professional work.
Members of the SafeJournalists network are very concerned about the situation in Serbia, which has escalated in recent days. The atmosphere of hostility, insults, and threats against independent journalists is further fueled by the treatment of media workers by high-ranking officials, sending a dangerous message and creating an environment in which violence is normalized.
The SafeJournalists network calls on relevant authorities to urgently respond to this wave of threats, identify and prosecute those responsible, and demonstrate that they are actively working to protect the safety of journalists in Serbia.
Furthermore, the network demands that public officials cease targeting, insulting, and inciting campaigns against journalists, and that they perform their duties responsibly and in accordance with Serbian laws, rather than abusing their positions to settle scores with media entities reporting in the public interest.
The SafeJournalists network will inform relevant national and international stakeholders.
Every attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, the public interest, and fundamental human rights.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, December 19, 2025.
Croatian Journalists' Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
Association of BH Journalists
Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia
Media Union of Montenegro
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