Vienna, 16/09/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) denounced today’s vicious physical attack against two journalists in Belgrade, Serbia.
A protest was organised today by right-wing political movement Pokret Dveri, the Green Party of Serbia and the syndicate Sloga in front of the building of the TV station Pink. Demonstrators gathered to allegedly protest several reality-shows the TV station produces, ask for better conditions for workers and “help remove the darkness from the media scene”.
TV Pink journalists Gordana Uzelac and Maja Dragovic (Maja Dragović) were attacked by members of Dveri while they were present at the protest. According to Maja Dragovic, she and a colleague saw Gordana Uzelac lying on the ground after an attack, and while trying to carry her into the TV Pink headquarters, she herself was repeatedly hit in the back and head. Uzelac was taken to the hospital and later a security camera confirmed the identity of the Dveri member who assaulted her.
“The utterly troubling media scene in Serbia seems to continually worsen, which we see though information about brutal attacks on both male and female journalists in the country” Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General stated. “We condemn these horrific attacks and ask the perpetrators to be persecuted legally as soon as possible.” Vujovic also said.
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.