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Police officers did not act towards me in the line of duty; they kidnapped me because of my work, which revealed who wears the uniform that should represent honor, but for some, it seems to be an invitation to violence, says 22-year-old photographer Aleksa Stanković, who filmed police officers insulting girls, only to later be subjected to their abuse. Aleksa became known for a video that refuted the state's president's false claims that students had punched a police officer in the eye outside RTS.

Signed journalists and media freedom organizations express deep outrage over the new attacks on journalists across Serbia, many of which are carried out by state representatives and law enforcement officials. The state of emergency regarding media freedom in Serbia – as assessed by the MFRR Solidarity Mission in April – has not only continued but has drastically worsened at an alarming rate, despite our numerous warnings and recommendations.

We spoke with Bojan Elek, the project manager for the Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK). On May 21, 2025, this Serbian investigative media outlet received the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification, the second in the country after Istinomer. We asked Elek three questions about the significance of the JTI certification for KRIK.

After fourteen years of operation in the Balkans, the regional television project Al Jazeera Balkans is shutting down.

In the police and military, there is no “option number two.” There is only one order. Everyone is trained to execute it until another one arrives - and that’s it. There is no choice. Not even in thought.

Serbia ranks fourth in Europe in terms of attacks on journalists, following Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey, according to a report on media pluralism in Serbia conducted by the European University Institute.

Despite the law from 2023, which improved the provisions on the transparency of such competitions by stipulating mandatory criteria for compliance with the Journalists' Code, and whose implementation is monitored by the Press Council, the competitions published during 2024 have significantly reduced public financing in certain municipalities, according to the European Commission's annual report on the state of the rule of law in Serbia.

The safety of journalists is becoming an increasing cause for concern. Cases of threats, intimidation, hate speech, and physical violence against journalists have been reported. Local journalists are particularly vulnerable to such attacks, states the European Commission in its annual report on the state of the rule of law in Serbia.