Vienna, 21/12/2015
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the growing number of cases in Serbia where journalists are being insulted, attacked, or pressured. SEEMO has also expressed concern regarding a recent physical attack involving a journalist in the town of Bela Crkva, Serbia.
Reporter Stefan Cvetkovic stated that he was attacked on Saturday, 19 December by unknown perpetrators who destroyed his car. The incident occurred after Cvetkovic was called a “foreign spy” and “legitimate target” by local government officials. His investigative work has been causing dissatisfaction among local politicians, including one who allegedly called Cvetkovic “a spy funded by the Soros Foundation”.
SEEMO calls any on members of the local political community who are exerting pressure on Cvetkovic to stop immediately.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South East and Central Europe. SEEMO’s 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.