The Ministry of Information and Telecommunications in Serbia has issued a strong condemnation of two incidents targeting journalists in Serbia, underscoring the urgent need to protect press freedom and uphold the Law on Public Information and Media.
On 20 November 2024, incident unfolded in Belgrade, Serbia when journalists from the pro-governmental TV Informer (https://informer.rs/tv/live-tv) were subjected to harassment and physical assault by a group of demonstrators. While covering events in the city, reporters Branka Lazić, Lidija Makragić, Milica Škorić, and cameraman Nikola Palamarević faced verbal provocations before being physically attacked. The Ministry described the event as a grave infringement on journalistic rights, emphasizing that obstructing the press while they fulfill their professional duties is a severe violation of media law. It called for immediate legal actions against those responsible to ensure accountability and deterrence.
On the same day, a verbal attack was reported outside the courthouse in Novi Sad, Serbia. Emilija Marić, editor-in-chief of Novosadska Televizija (https://novosadska.tv/), became the target of insults and harassment while reporting on a protest involving a blockade of the prosecutor’s office and court premises. The Ministry highlighted the unacceptable nature of such conduct, stressing that journalists must be allowed to work without intimidation or violence.
In its statement, the Ministry condemned both incidents, calling them direct assaults on media freedom and the democratic right to free information. It urged citizens to respect the role of journalists and refrain from actions that obstruct their work or compromise their safety. The Ministry also demanded a prompt and effective response from law enforcement to hold the perpetrators accountable and reinforce protections for journalists.
These attacks have sparked significant concern from media organizations and advocacy groups. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that journalists can perform their duties free from fear and underscored the importance of safeguarding press freedom as a cornerstone of democracy.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the recent attacks on journalists from TV Informer in Belgrade and the verbal harassment of Emilija Marić, of “Novosadska Televizija,” in Novi Sad. Such incidents represent blatant violations of press freedom and undermine the safety of media professionals in Serbia. SEEMO emphasizes the urgent need for authorities to ensure a safe environment for journalists to perform their duties without fear of violence or intimidation. SEEMO will be closely monitoring these cases and calls for swift, transparent action against the perpetrators to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law.
However SEEMO is asking the state officials in Serbia, including the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, to react in every case of an attack on journalists in Serbia. This form of reaction only if some journalists are attacked, is not a way of respecting press freedom and democracy in Serbia.
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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