Journalists covering the raid by some opposition members of parliaments and councilors on the City Hall in Novi Sad, Serbia, on 17 January 2025 reported of alleged threats and physical aggression by Serbian police and Gendarmerie, raising serious concerns about press freedom and public safety.
Dragana Prica (@novosadskaprica) working for Radio 021 (https://www.021.rs/), a local radio station in Novi Sad, Serbia and Ksenija Pavkov working for N1 Television (https://n1info.rs/), a 24-hour cable news channel from Belgrade, Serbia, were allegedly forcibly dragged by the arms and shoulders and pushed out of the building, even after repeatedly showing their press cards. Aleksandar Latas (@TeodorTiranin), a journalist for Danas daily (https://www.danas.rs/) from Belgrade, was allegedly threatened by a policeman, while TV Nova S (https://nova.rs/) cameraman Darko Eker was allegedly pulled by his backpack containing equipment. Journalist Žarko Bogosavljević (@zarkobns) was allegedly physically knocked to the ground during his reporting from the protest.
All happened during broader protests and institutional blockades across Serbia, following the tragic collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad that claimed 15 lives on 1 November 2025. Despite their critical role in documenting such events, media workers have faced obstruction and intimidation from authorities.
The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije – NUNS- IJAS – https://nuns.rs/) and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine – NDNV – IJAV – https://ndnv.org/) have condemned these actions, highlighting the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ failure to protect journalists and the public interest. Instead of ensuring safe and unhindered reporting, police forces appear to have acted on directives to prevent media workers from carrying out their duties.
Serbian state Institutions are reminded of their obligation to respect press freedom, which is fundamental in any democratic society. Any use of force against journalists not only undermines their rights but is a direct assault on the freedom and safety of all citizens.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the unacceptable actions of Serbian police and Gendarmerie in Novi Sad, where journalists were threatened, physically assaulted, and obstructed while reporting on the opposition’s City Hall break-in. These acts, including dragging reporters out despite valid press identification and using force to hinder their work, represent severe violations of press freedom and democratic principles. SEEMO calls on Serbian authorities, including the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia to ensure the safety of all journalists, hold accountable those responsible for these violations, and uphold the fundamental right to independent reporting in the public interest.
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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