April 5, 2024

05.04.2024 – Media Freedom Under Threat: Escalating Attacks on Journalists in Serbia

Journalists in Serbia continue to face a barrage of insults, intimidation, threats, and even physical assaults. These attacks are often motivated by their reporting, expression of opinions, or simply because of their profession. According to the latest report from the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS – https://nuns.rs/), the safety index further deteriorated in 2023, with 50 new attacks already recorded in 2024 in Serbia.

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) recorded 33 cases of threats to journalists and the media in Serbia in the first three months of 2024.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) recorded in the same period this year 37 cases of attacks, insults or threats against journalists and media in Serbia.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) believes in the fundamental importance of journalism as a cornerstone of democracy, emphasizing the need for the protection of freedom of speech and media. As demonstrated by the alarming escalation of attacks on journalists in Serbia, it is evident that safeguarding these freedoms is imperative for upholding democratic values and ensuring transparency within society. SEEMO advocates for robust measures to address the hostile environment faced by journalists, stressing the urgency of implementing comprehensive safeguards to protect their safety and enable them to fulfill their crucial role in informing the public and holding power to account.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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