UNS database: In the first three months, there were seventy percent more cases of threats against journalists compared to the same period last year.

This trend is particularly concerning, considering that in 2025, according to the UNS database, the number of attacks more than doubled compared to the previous year.

On the day of the local elections in 10 municipalities, March 29, 16 attacks and disruptions of journalists' work were recorded.

This means that in one day, there were four more cases of endangerment of journalists than in the rest of March – from March 1 to 28, there were 12 recorded cases.

Regarding the disruption of colleagues' work, 12 cases were recorded in the first three months of this year, compared to eight last year.

In the first quarter of this year, UNS documented 24 threats, which is double the number from last year when 11 such cases were recorded in the UNS database.

Particularly alarming is the data that 12 physical attacks were recorded this year by March, which is nine more than last year, when three were documented.

Last year was a record year compared to the previous five years regarding the number of physical attacks on journalists and media workers.

In January and February of this year, cyber attacks were particularly pronounced, with UNS recording 10 such cases during this period.

UNS classified coordinated bot attacks on Instagram accounts in this category, which manifest as a sudden and massive increase in the number of followers, aiming for the Meta platform to automatically limit or shut down the profile of a media outlet or journalist, as well as hacking attacks, including DDoS attacks on websites.

On the other hand, in the first three months of last year, UNS did not record any such cases.

This year, UNS also recorded one more case of detention compared to last year, resulting in two detentions being documented.

This year, UNS recorded the same number of pressures and discrimination as last year – three cases of media discrimination and four instances of pressure.

Source: UNS