Case KTV: Attacks at the protest in Novi Sad and at the "protests against blockades"

Publicly available information indicates that the police used force against demonstrators, the attending first aid medical team, and journalists. The authorities attributed the unrest to the demonstrators, while testimonies from peacefully gathered citizens place the blame for the disturbances on the police officers. That night, several individuals were both injured and detained.

For KTV, that night, the leader of the "Love, Faith, Hope" movement, Nemanja Šarović, reported. During the broadcast, a police officer seized his microphone and smashed it on the ground. The KTV logo on the microphone was visible; however, it meant nothing to the police officer. He persistently demanded a press credential from Šarović and pushed him twice during that time.

Furthermore, the KTV news crew was obstructed multiple times during their coverage of the event "Protest Against Blockades."

At the very beginning, the police requested that they move away from the gathered members and supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party. Shortly thereafter, they asked Nemanja Šarović, who was reporting for KTV from the event, to move his car as it was deemed improperly parked.

Šarović explained to them that the vehicle did not belong to him. Although the police officer insisted on his request, Šarović did not interrupt his reporting. After the broadcast concluded, Daniel Radić, the owner and director of KTV and the owner of the aforementioned vehicle, along with Nemanja Šarović, went to the car.

There, they were met by a larger number of police officers. Šarović stated on camera, which recorded the event, that among them were: the head of the traffic police, three inspectors, and nine uniformed officers, as well as a police van and two official vehicles parked near Radić's car. According to Šarović's statements made on his social media accounts, the police attempted for hours to seize Radić's vehicle.

According to a statement from the KTV editorial office, the person who re-parked the vehicle was subjected to a forty-eight-hour detention due to suspicion of committing the criminal offense of Assault on an Official in the Performance of Official Duties.

Šarović denied the allegations of committing a criminal offense and emphasized that the main goal of the police was to seize the vehicle of the KTV director. Via the social media platform Instagram, Šarović informed the public that a police patrol was stationed in front of Radić's house that night, where his pregnant wife and ten-month-old baby were present.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media strongly condemned such police conduct and reminded of the attacks that KTV journalists had already been subjected to.

Details about the attacks on KTV and the pressures this editorial office faces can also be read in the Media Scene Monitoring for the Republic of Serbia for the months of March and April 2025.

This text is part of the Media Scene Monitoring in Serbia for September 2025.