The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) condemns the actions of the Teaching and Scientific Council of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade, which did not allow journalist Vuk Cvijić to attend and report from the public session of this body, as well as the ban on journalists attending the session of the Kula Municipal Assembly, at which the president of the municipality is being elected.
Journalist Vuk Cvijić came today to the public session of the Teaching and Scientific Council of the Faculty of Medicine in order to report from the event. He entered the hall without obstruction, but after some time two security officers entered and asked him to leave the hall.
When Cvijić pointed out that the session was public, he was told that he could follow the session from outside the hall, as it was being recorded. However, as Cvijić stated, in that way it was not possible to hear everything the council members were saying, nor to see who was asking to speak. Such conduct constitutes obstruction of a journalist in the professional performance of his work.
We remind the public that the role of journalists is not only to report who said what, but also to convey to the public the atmosphere, the course of the session and the context in which decisions are made. This is not possible if a journalist is forced to follow an event from outside the hall, via a television or monitor.
This is an issue of undeniable public interest, which is why the presence of journalists at a public session is of particular importance for ensuring the transparency of the institution’s work. Any unjustified restriction on journalistic reporting directly affects citizens’ right to be timely and fully informed, as well as the public’s ability to monitor the lawful, transparent and efficient functioning of the Council and the Faculty of Medicine, and the process of adopting decisions of social importance.
On the same day, journalists were also prevented from covering the session of the Kula Municipal Assembly, at which the president of the municipality is expected to be elected. The N1 crew was not allowed to enter the Assembly building, although it had previously submitted an accreditation request. According to available information, local journalists were also denied entry.
One of the security officers in front of the building told the N1 reporter that they had been instructed by their superior not to let journalists inside. When asked why journalists were being denied entry, police officers, security staff, as well as the aforementioned head of security, gave no answer.
The practice of banning journalists from reporting from sessions of municipal assemblies across Serbia is becoming increasingly frequent, and it is necessary to put an immediate end to it. The public has the right to be informed about the work of local self-government bodies, especially when decisions are being made on matters of public interest, such as the election of a municipal president.
It is not enough for citizens to be informed about the work of institutions solely through statements published on official websites. Journalists play an important role in monitoring how decisions are made, whether procedures are respected, and in providing the public with insight into the work of government bodies. Only on the basis of such reporting can citizens assess the work of public administration.
IJAS calls on the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade, the Kula Municipal Assembly, as well as all other institutions in Serbia, to stop the practice of preventing journalists from attending public sessions and to enable them to do their job without obstruction.
Institutions that make decisions of public importance must be open to the public, and journalists must not be denied the right to report on their work professionally, directly and independently.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, 1 June 2026
