Vienna, 21/11/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed deep concern after a court in Belgrade, Serbia dropped charges against several individuals who threatened, disparaged and attacked journalists during the inauguaration of the president-elect Aleksandar Vucic (Aleksandar Vučić) in June of this year.
Several persons who presented them as members of Vucic’s security team were physically removing journalists and photo reporters from the inauguration as they were trying to take a statement from a nearby protester.
Allegedly, the judge in this case determined that there was no violence. The judge stated that the media workers were the ones who “provoked” while the security guards “helped stop a further escalation of violence”.
SEEMO expressed deep disapproval and dismay following this decision.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.