Six journalists have left Serbia due to safety concerns: "This is not just a personal tragedy, but an indicator of the state of democracy."

Writer, columnist, and TV host Marko Vidojković has been living in exile for over three years. He was the first to leave Serbia, relocating abroad in early 2023 at the time he was co-hosting the podcast “Dobar, loš, zao” with Nenad Kulačin.

The last to leave was military analyst Aleksandar Radić. For fellow journalists and journalism associations, he is in exile, while for the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, he is in hiding. A criminal complaint was filed against Radić in absentia for preparing an act against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Serbia, as well as for disclosing confidential information.

The military analyst, who was the first to tell N1 that an acoustic weapon was used against protesters in Belgrade on March 15, 2025, justified his departure from Serbia due to concerns for his family's safety. After his apartment was searched and he was summoned to the Military Police to attend an examination of confiscated computers, pro-regime media published footage of him and his minor daughter being followed.

"My daughter, who will turn 16 in a few days, has become a target. On Tuesday, June 23, TV Informer showed her in the surveillance footage, and during that day, they aired fresh recordings of me waiting in the park for her to finish some obligations. What do you do when there are so many enemies and they threaten your child? We left for abroad," Radić stated in a written statement to the Beta agency, explaining his decision.

He added that the authorities may have wanted him to leave the country.

"Because if they put me in detention for information, it would create a negative image of the harassment of journalists. What can they do after creating a lynch atmosphere other than imprison me? Some in the security structures think it was planned for one or more thugs to ambush me on the street and for TV Informer to say they are 'justice-loving' citizens," he noted.

In Exile: Investigative and Local Journalists

Aside from these two media-followed cases, the names of other journalists who have had to leave their country due to concerns for their safety are not known to the public.

Veran Matić, president of the Management Board of ANEM and a member of the Permanent Working Group for Journalist Safety, says that some of them do not wish for their names to be published. Some want to live and work normally, while others are in specific legal situations.

According to Matić, among the six are one investigative journalist, one female journalist who has been subjected to constant threats and insults, and one local journalist who received death threats from a local thug who was also tried for murder. There is also a journalist and professor in exile who has faced years of threats and attacks on him and his family.

"In one case, the threats came from someone who has already been convicted of serious crimes and who simultaneously appears as a thug at rallies of the ruling party. The victim was a media worker from a small town, who was previously physically attacked during local elections when his camera was broken," Matić reveals.

He notes that this "six-pack" does not include Mental Stretching - Marko Stepanović and Srđan Janković, who conduct their show from Slovenia.

Exile is Not the End of the Problem

"Exile is not the end of the problem. A new struggle begins – how to secure legal status, employment, housing, education for children, and basic existence. Nevertheless, for many, such uncertainty is more acceptable than living in an atmosphere where they are daily subjected to targeting, threats, and campaigns that endanger their safety and that of their families," pointed out Veran Matić.

Matić states that numerous discussions with journalists show that there are those who would like to leave but cannot due to family circumstances, children, worries about parents, or other life obligations.

"I mentioned six cases in which I was directly involved in providing assistance in the relocation process. Almost all share common characteristics: they have been exposed to death threats for years, serious forms of security threats, and organized targeting campaigns, while the perpetrators remained unpunished. Even when suspects are identified or apprehended, they often escape without the endangered journalist being informed at all. This has further deepened their sense of insecurity," Matić explained the motivations for journalists to flee Serbia.

He emphasizes that it is particularly distressing that children, spouses, and parents become instruments of additional intimidation, even though they have no connection to the professional work of the targeted journalists.

"The Radić Case Exceeds the Fate of One Man"

Veran Matić states that the pressures on journalists are not just open threats but also hybrid forms of persecution – a combination of media campaigns, institutional pressures, economic exhaustion, surveillance, and legal uncertainty. He cites Aleksandar Radić as an example.

"In the case of military analyst and journalist Aleksandar Radić, it is clear how this mechanism functions. Fabricated accusations, the real possibility of prolonged detention, media and security surveillance of family members, including a minor child, illegal data collection, the construction of 'evidence,' and the expectation of a prolonged court process represent serious enough reasons for a person to conclude that the only way to protect themselves and their family is to leave the country," Matić said.

He emphasizes that Aleksandar Radić is not just a military analyst but also a journalist and a long-time collaborator with one of the most prestigious weekly magazines in Serbia.

Pointing to the statement from the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade about Radić, Matić recalls that parts of private communications of the military analyst with several journalists were mentioned, with their initials and other identifying information published.

"Such an approach can produce a serious intimidating effect, not only for those journalists but also for a much wider circle of people who communicate daily with sources and interlocutors of public significance," the N1 interlocutor stated.

The practical implications were experienced by N1 journalist. Shortly after the release of the statement from the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office, which chronologically described the communication between Radić and N1 journalist S.K. on the evening of March 15, Informer published an article titled "Is This the N1 Journalist in Correspondence with Radić? Shocking Claims Surface," naming the N1 correspondent from Novi Sad. In this instance, not only was one journalist targeted, but the wrong one was targeted, who shares the same initials as the person mentioned in the statement from the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office.

"One of the fundamental assumptions of free journalism is the right to free and confidential communication. If journalists get the impression that their professional communication may become the subject of public stigmatization, it inevitably produces self-censorship and undermines trust between journalists and their sources. Therefore, this case exceeds the fate of one man. It can have long-term consequences for the freedom of journalistic work in Serbia," warned Veran Matić.

Students in Exile, Those Who Remain – Harassed

Matić warns that the departure of six journalists from Serbia is not an isolated event but part of a much broader picture. He reminds us that six students and activists have been in exile for over a year, having been subjected to criminal prosecution and political pressures. Their colleagues who did not leave the country have faced harassment for months, and some have spent several months in detention, Matić recalled.

He adds that lawyers are particularly targeted, who have also been "arrested, criminalized, and demonized." The latest example is lawyer Nikola Mirković from Valjevo, who represents victims of police brutality beaten at the protest on August 14 last year in that city. A year after those events, the prosecutor's office is charging him with assault on a public official at the protest.

A large number of Serbian citizens have left the country in the last two years due to political, professional, and existential pressures. Many have faced blackmail at their workplaces, pressure to support the ruling party, or fear that if they do not comply, they will lose their jobs, professional integrity, or personal safety... When it comes to journalists, this problem is more visible because there are organizations that monitor attacks on the media and provide support to endangered colleagues. However, similar mechanisms of pressure exist in many other professions," Matić emphasized.

He asserts that the departure of journalists from Serbia is not merely a personal tragedy for individuals and their families but a serious indicator of the state of democracy, the rule of law, and media freedom in the country.

"A society from which professional journalists leave because they cannot be safe or free to do their jobs loses far more than just a few experienced individuals – it loses the ability to critically assess its own reality," concluded the interlocutor of the N1 portal.

Source: N1