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"When I rewind the film, it seems to me that the guys in black have received the 'green light' to do whatever it takes to preserve the seats of the powerful," says Darko Gligorijević, a journalist for Zoomer, who was hit in the head and sprayed with pepper spray while reporting from the elections in Bajina Bašta, to Cenzolovka. Darko had previously been detained on charges of - shouting while he was reporting.

The media scene in Serbia reflects the tense socio-political situation, and the misuse of media could be counterproductive for the authorities, stated Saša Mirković, a representative of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), in an interview with the FoNet agency.

Media associations and journalists gathered in front of the Presidency building of Serbia to express solidarity with colleagues who were attacked while reporting on the local elections on March 29, as well as to highlight the increasingly difficult and dangerous situation for journalists in the field. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić was invited to "come out and look journalists in the eye whose lives he thinks he can decide on." While this protest was taking place, people were also gathering in Pioneer Park.

Today, Nenad Kulačin and Marko Vidojković provided statements at the Third Basic Court in Belgrade in the civil proceedings initiated against them by the Mayor of Belgrade, Aleksandar Šapić, for defamation. Šapić is seeking compensation for non-material damages in the amount of 1.1 million dinars due to alleged insults made against him during several episodes of "Good, Bad, Evil" in 2021.

Photojournalist Zorica Popović was kicked in the stomach by men in masks, twice her size, the same ones who severely injured Lazar Dinić and Ivan Bjelić. She testifies to the horror she survived, orchestrated over the phone that directed the hooligans. When the police finally arrived, they laughed at them.

Media freedom in Serbia remains trapped in a downward spiral due to record levels of physical violence against journalists, death threats, and online smear campaigns, a concerning level of impunity, as well as strong political control over the media environment, concluded a coalition of organizations for media freedom.

The SafeJournalists network strongly condemns the sexist remarks and insults based on nationality, as well as the threats made against journalist Kristina Demeter Filipčev of the Bečejski mozaik portal through comments on the social network Facebook, and demands that the relevant institutions respond urgently, identify those responsible, and ensure the protection of the journalist.

The European Union closely monitored the local elections held on March 29 in ten municipalities in Serbia. We welcome the authorities' invitation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to observe the local elections. We take into account the findings of the observation delegation, published on March 30, as stated in the press release from the EU Delegation in Serbia.

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) recorded 67 cases of threats against journalists in the first three months of this year, which is 27 more than in the same period last year.