During a meeting regarding the protest of Čortanovci, Village in Serbia against the closure of the railway station in this town, Verica Mariničić, a journalist from the local online portal IN Medija (https://inmedija.rs/), was forcibly removed from the premises by the security personnel of the Inđija Municipality, Vojvodina province, Serbia. Video footage captured the moment when Mariničić was escorted out with the explanation that she “was not on the list.” You can see the video-link online: https://n1info.rs/vesti/video-obezbedjenje-opstine-indjija-izbacilo-novinarku-iz-zgrade/
The expulsion of Mariničić from the municipality building has prompted calls for accountability from the authorities responsible for the decision and the security personnel involved. Such blatant mistreatment of journalists not only undermines press freedom but also distances the public from the work of municipal bodies. Mariničić intends to report the incident to the police and has already notified the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (NezavisnoudruženjenovinaraSrbije -NUNS- https://nuns.rs/) regarding attacks on journalists.
This incident adds to the history of intimidation and harassment faced by Mariničić, dating back to 2019 when she was targeted for her coverage of local issues.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) strongly condemns the forcible expulsion of journalist Verica Mariničić from the Inđija Municipality building. Such actions not only violate press freedom but also undermine the fundamental principles of democracy and transparency. SEEMO calls for a thorough investigation into the incident, urging the authorities to hold accountable those responsible for this egregious act and to ensure the safety and protection of journalists in their pursuit of informing the public.
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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