March 2026 was marked by physical attacks on journalists. This month, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) recorded a total of 30 incidents involving journalists. There were 20 actual attacks, five cases of death threats and threats to physical safety, and two other threats. In addition, there were two threats against media outlets and one attack on media and media organizations. Particularly alarming were the physical attacks on journalists during the local elections held in 10 municipalities and cities. Journalists were once again also targeted by serious attacks and obstruction by police officers while reporting from public events and protests.
Brutal attacks on journalists during local elections
During the local elections in Serbia, held on March 29, brutal attacks on journalists were recorded. Darko Gligorijević, a journalist with Zoomer, was attacked by unidentified assailants in Bajina Bašta while reporting from the field. The attackers tried to take his phone, then repeatedly punched him in the head and finally sprayed him with pepper spray, even though he had clearly identified himself as a journalist. Ivana Marsenić, a freelance journalist who filmed the attack on Gligorijević, had her camera violently taken away, while the tires on the Insider team’s vehicle had been slashed earlier that day.
The most serious attack happened later that day in Šarbanovac near Bor, where ReVolt journalists Lazar Dinić and Ivan Bjelić were brutally beaten, and journalist Zorica Popović was physically assaulted. The attackers first physically assaulted Zorica Popović, hitting her twice in the stomach, and then brutally attacked and beat Ivan Bjelić. Lazar Dinić initially tried to record the attack and then attempted to flee, but he slipped and fell into the Timok River, where the attackers caught up with him, brutally beat and abused him, and forced him to shout “Aca, President.” The attackers also took and broke the journalists’ phones, and Zorica Popović’s camera was confiscated. Dinić and Bjelić were immediately transferred to the hospital in Bor with serious injuries, with Dinić suffering a fractured cheekbone.
Miroslav Pantović, a journalist with Mačva News from Bogatić, was attacked while reporting on events in Bajina Bašta. Several individuals attacked him from behind, took and broke his camera, and after he called the police, it was returned to him without the memory card. Pantović also received medical assistance.
In Kula, two attacks were recorded against journalist and photojournalist Mina Delić of the Free Press Foundation. In one incident, a man violently took her phone, and in another she was pushed in front of a tavern suspected of being connected to vote-buying.
Teams from the Finnish public broadcaster and the Storyteller portal were obstructed in Kula, while reporters from Mašina, Blokade Info, and Politički globus Srbije were also obstructed in Bajina Bašta. In most municipalities and cities, journalists were banned from filming and taking photographs at polling stations, even though they had proper accreditation.
In addition, ReVolt journalist Ivan Bjelić, before being beaten, was detained in Bor with the subsequent explanation that a warrant had been issued for him. On that occasion, Ivan Bjelić and Lazar Dinić were identified by police in Bor even though they were clearly marked as journalists, making it completely unclear why they were identified at all and why Bjelić was detained without any explanation and without being informed of the reasons for his arrest.
Continued police repression: Journalists exposed to violence while reporting
While reporting in front of the Rectorate of the University of Belgrade, following the arrival of members of the Criminal Police Directorate (UKP), journalists were subjected to physical violence and obstruction. Photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić was repeatedly shoved roughly by police officers and was struck with a kick and three baton blows to his equipment. Photojournalist Nađa Gavrilović was also violently pushed while police officers raised batons toward her. Photojournalist Katarina Redžić was obstructed in her work, and two officers roughly shoved her away. Luka Pešić, also a photojournalist, suffered several blows to the head from police.
When the N1 television crew asked police to allow them to pass behind the police cordon so they could continue reporting safely, as they had found themselves trapped between police and citizens when police began pushing the crowd back, the police refused, even though some journalists were already there. When journalist Tamara Stojanović pointed out that such conduct was contrary to regulations, one officer replied: “A lot of things are not according to regulations.” In the chaos that followed, Stojanović was knocked to the ground.
Ana Mihajlovski, a journalist with “Naš portal,” was directly sprayed in the eyes and mouth by police officers while reporting.
In addition to attacks by police, there was also an attack by an unidentified person on Marko Dragoslavić, who was struck in the back of the head with a metal object and received medical assistance.
Groundless detention of photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić while reporting
On March 10, photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić was detained in Loznica while reporting on the bringing in of activist Zlatko Kokanović for a hearing in proceedings against him. Andrić tried to film the police conduct by running after the vehicle carrying Kokanović. Police officers stopped him, detained him, and took him to the station, even though he immediately showed his press ID. Andrić did not insult the police officers or make any physical contact with them. Although he asked for an explanation for his detention, the police gave none at the time and did so only later. At the police station, Andrić was cooperative but faced aggressive and unpleasant behavior from the police. Officers demanded that he delete the footage, although he did not have his camera with him at the time. After giving a statement, Andrić was released, but a misdemeanor charge was filed against him for allegedly disturbing public order.
Continued endangerment of Veran Matić’s safety by the Center for Social Stability
During March, the Center for Social Stability continued targeting and endangering the safety of Veran Matić. This NGO, which is close to the authorities, posted on social media: “If any of you see Veran Matić in the next month or two, tell him he’s not the only (pseudo) journalist who grew a beard and that he should be a little more patient, the sequel is coming soon…” This post constitutes a serious and disturbing threat that directly incites violence. It is especially alarming because the message is clearly inspired by the notorious 2003 statement by Tomislav Nikolić, made shortly before the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. In addition, the reference to the beard evokes a chilling parallel with murdered journalists Slavko Ćuruvija and Milan Pantić.
Incidents in Kovin, Kragujevac, and Belgrade while reporting on the SNS rally in Belgrade
In Kovin and Kragujevac, while reporting on the departure of supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to a rally in Belgrade on March 22, local portal Kovinskeinfo editor Violeta Živkov was reporting and doing a live broadcast when she addressed a man who at first smiled and agreed to speak, but then suddenly reacted aggressively and directly threatened her, saying: “Move away! I’ll smash that!” (referring to her phone). Local officials were present at the scene, including the deputy head of the municipality and head of the SNS council group, but they did not react.
In Kragujevac, Glas Šumadije journalist Vuk Mladenović was obstructed while filming SNS supporters boarding a bus. One of those present physically tried to prevent him from recording by placing a hand on his phone and making comments such as “Why are you filming?” and “No need for your hands to shake.” He then tried to take the phone from him.
In Belgrade, while reporting from the rally, TV Nova journalist Isidora Kovačević was obstructed and insulted, and her microphone was struck, while TV N1 journalist Maja Nikolić was not provided police escort even though she requested it from an officer present because she felt threatened.
Threats against journalists
On March 29, TV N1 journalist Mladen Savatović received serious threats via the social network X, reading: “You’re lucky, @_savatovic, that you come across decent, calm and tolerant people. Pray that you don’t run into someone like me. 6 months in the hospital… and that’s in the best-case scenario.” The profile was deleted shortly after the threats were sent, but the threats were reported.
A day later, new threats were sent to journalists Marko Vidojković and Nenad Kulačin via the YouTube channel “Dobar, loš, zao,” saying: “Aha, 15,000 people watched you, but how many will come to your funeral, and soon at that.”
Sexist insults based on nationality and threats against journalist Kristina Demeter Filipčev
After reporting on the local elections held in Kula, journalist Kristina Demeter Filipčev from the local outlet Bečejski mozaik was subjected to a series of sexist insults based on both gender and nationality, as well as threats. This constitutes a serious form of online violence, gender-based harassment, and intimidation, aimed at humiliating, silencing, and excluding the journalist from her professional work by creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
Some of the comments included: “Block this journalist’s house,” “You are a Ustaša terrorist…,” “Men from Banat came to f**k Hungarian women, they don’t know how to say no,” “Since you write like that, b***h, post a photo so you can see I can f**k even freaks…,” “F**k her Ustaša mother,” and “Eat shit, w***e…” The content of these comments constitutes unacceptable hate speech, misogynistic and nationalist targeting, and serious threats intended to provoke fear and endanger safety.
Threats and attacks against media
The portal Lice ulice, Naš portal, and the Journalists’ Association of Serbia received an email warning that all their Meta accounts would be shut down unless they publicly supported Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The email came from the address [email protected].
On March 21, there was a hacking attack on the Sečanj Info portal. The editorial team was informed by their hosting provider that there had been an attempted intrusion into their system. According to the outlet, they believe the attack is related to their editorial policy.
The editorial email addresses of Kurir and other media outlets (N1, nova.rs, Direktno, Blic, Informer) received a message from an email account called “blokaderska osveta,” claiming that bombs had been planted in multiple locations, including the address of Kurir’s newsroom, and describing it as “Vučić’s Goebbels, the worst propaganda tools in the hands of this Nazi-pedophile regime, our main target of all.” The message said this was a response “to yesterday’s theft by the Progressive scum, we responded in the only way scum can understand. VIOLENCE…”
Unacceptable request for a prison sentence over a journalistic article
The company “Millennium Team” filed a private criminal complaint against N1 journalist Maja Nikolić for, as stated in the complaint, the criminal offense of damaging business reputation and creditworthiness in connection with an article about the purchase of Hotel Jugoslavija and state subsidies. The article is titled: “They bought Hotel Jugoslavija for 27, then received subsidies of 30 million euros – with citizens’ money the state helps the richest,” and the complaint seeks a prison sentence of up to one year.
In the article, the journalist deals with an issue of unquestionable public interest, namely the way state subsidies are awarded and the relationship between the state and large private companies. The complaint claims that the journalist “presented false information about the company’s operations” and intended to damage its reputation, with particular issue taken over the awarding of state incentives, including claims that the state “helps the richest” and that the hotel purchase with subsidies practically amounted to a “gift.” The company did not request publication of a correction before initiating proceedings, which further indicates that the aim of the lawsuit is not to exercise the right to correction or reply, but to exhaust and intimidate the journalist.
Veran Matić’s request for an interim measure against the Center for Social Stability rejected
Regarding the request for an interim measure banning the publication of claims from the propaganda film by the Center for Social Stability, which contains falsehoods about Veran Matić and endangers his safety, a judge of the Basic Court in Novi Sad rejected the proposal. In the first-instance decision, the judge stated that the interim measure could not be enforced because “there is no connection between the stated claim and the proposed interim measure, since the interim measure does not seek a ban on the broadcasting or rebroadcasting of the disputed documentary film Evil Times 2 – The Making of Propaganda […] but only the use of certain statements from that film […].” The judge also held that the interim measure requested in that way “could not be forcibly enforced.”
The court completely ignored what the plaintiff had pointed out: that the Center for Social Stability had announced that in the next episode, lasting 90 minutes, it would once again deal with Veran Matić. Instead, the judge turned to the disputed program and found the following: “By carefully reviewing the content of the disputed documentary film Evil Times 2 – The Making of Propaganda, and specifically the very end of that documentary film, the court established that a continuation of the series was announced, but that the continuation was announced as an analysis of the work and conduct of certain third parties, and not of the plaintiff here.” In addition, the court’s decision departs from some examples in practice, and Matić will appeal the ruling.
Convictions for threats and stalking of journalists
In March, two convictions were delivered in cases involving attacks on journalists. The Higher Court in Belgrade convicted M.Š. for death threats sent two years ago to journalist and president of the Independent Journalists’ Society of Vojvodina (IJAV), Ana Lalić Hegediš. The perpetrator received a suspended prison sentence of eight months, had his mobile phone and SIM card confiscated, and was banned from approaching the injured party’s apartment within 200 meters and from any communication with her for one year, for the criminal offense of Endangering Safety.
The Basic Court in Šabac, in a first-instance ruling, found Z.C. guilty of the long-term harassment of journalist Nenad Kulačin. Between 2023 and 2025, he repeatedly insulted, provoked, and lunged at the journalist in public places in Šabac, even in situations when Kulačin was with his minor son or wife, and in front of other citizens who were disturbed by the behavior. The court imposed a suspended prison sentence of six months, as well as a restraining order preventing him from approaching the journalist, for the criminal offense of stalking.
