Vienna, 14/10/2016
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemned the working conditions for media workers in Serbia, which endanger the basic human and professional rights of journalists.
Jovica Vasic, journalist of daily “Narodne novine” in the city of Nis, Serbia, has been on a hunger strike for the previous five days, in order to draw attention to the difficult working conditions in both his paper, and in journalism. Vasic began his strike due to what he calls “slave-like working conditions” at the daily, where he has been an employee for the past 22 years. The journalist added that the situation worsened drastically after the paper came into ownership of a local family ten years ago.
“SEEMO members support all media workers in Serbia that are fighting for their rights and freedoms” Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General stated. “However, we ask Jovica Vasic to not expose his life and health to danger, and cease the hunger strike immediately. We will fight together, as we have done so far on, to draw attention of authorities and international institutions towards the horrendous working conditions of journalists in Serbia and the region” Vujovic added.
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.