Members of the Media Freedom rapid Response (MFRR) mission on Wednesday called on the European Union (EU) to stop pretending that all is well in Serbia and to publicly condemn all cases of attacks on journalists, media outlets, and civil society organizations, as well as the use of spyware against journalists.
“The EU must speak up. We demand that the EU consistently and publicly raise these issues every time it meets with representatives of the Serbian authorities, including the president, and to publicly make those statements,” the mission members told a press conference at the end of their visit to Serbia.
They also requested that the EU “publicly state that it will not continue negotiations with Serbia on Chapter 23 until all attacks on journalists and civil society organizations cease.”
The mission, comprising representatives from international press organizations, assessed that Serbia is experiencing an unprecedented crisis regarding media freedom that requires an urgent response. They said they came to Serbia to show solidarity with journalists and media workers.
During their stay, they met with journalists, representatives from media associations, police, and from the prosecutor’s office, as well as with representatives from the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the EU delegation, but not with Serbian state officials.
The mission members called for an end to all public attacks on journalists, especially those covering the ongoing protests.
They also demand the cessation of illegal police activities, including raids and unjustified searches, and called on the Serbian president to halt the use of spyware and to ensure that such cases are prosecuted.
We call for the protection of journalists and cameramen, and for police to expedite investigations into crimes against journalists, particularly those that have occurred in recent months, concluded the international mission.
Source: N1
