The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns the physical attack on Aleksandar Blanuša, editor of the Volim Zrenjanin news portal, as well as the threats, insults and obstruction targeting journalists from Kovinske info, Glas Zaječara, LiKVidno and Bečejski mozaik while they were reporting on political actors’ election campaign activities. We also condemn the smear campaign targeting Zdravko Stoilković, a journalist from the entertainment portal Showbizzer.rs.
Aleksandar Blanuša, editor of the Volim Zrenjanin portal, was physically attacked on Sunday, 20 September, while reporting from an event promoting the EXPO exhibition in Zrenjanin. While carrying out his journalistic assignment in Dr Zoran Đinđić Square, a man approached him, confronted him at close range and then pushed him over a refrigerator next to a nearby kiosk. Blanuša injured his elbow and back and subsequently sought medical assistance. According to Blanuša, the same person had previously attacked him, leaving him concerned for his safety.
IJAS calls on the police and the public prosecutor’s office to investigate all circumstances surrounding the attack without delay, assess the risks to Aleksandar Blanuša’s safety and take measures to protect him from further violence. The fact that, according to the journalist, he had previously been targeted by the same man requires an especially serious and urgent response from the institutions.
Miloš Ljiljanić, a journalist with the local portal Kovinske info, reported to the police on 20 September that he had been verbally attacked and threatened at the market in Kovin while covering election campaign activities. Ljiljanić went to the stand of the organisation “Ćale, ovo je za tebe”, led by political activist Petar Đurić, to obtain a statement about the movement’s programme, its campaign activities and the announced opening of an office in Kovin.
While he was recording his interview with Đurić, insults and inappropriate remarks were directed at Ljiljanić from a group of Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) activists, which included the president of the Municipality of Kovin, her deputy and members of the municipal assembly. When Ljiljanić turned his camera towards those making the remarks, one person present gestured at him with a finger to stop recording and used profanity in a manner that amounted to a threat.
After completing his assignment, Ljiljanić reported the incident to the Kovin Police Station. Part of the incident was recorded during a live broadcast from the market. IJAS expects the police to identify everyone involved, examine the available footage and establish their responsibility.
On 19 September, Glas Zaječara journalist Đorđe Đorđević was prevented from reporting from a Serbian Progressive Party gathering in Veliki Izvor, near Zaječar. Local officials attended the gathering, where, according to announcements made by local residents, party leaders Ana Brnabić and Miloš Vučević were also expected to appear. Neli Nikolić, vice-president of the SNS branch in Zaječar, approached Đorđević, told him that he was not welcome and ordered him to leave the gathering immediately.
In Kraljevo, an unidentified man approached Nenad Simović, editor of the LiKVidno portal, as he attempted to obtain statements from SNS supporters gathered at an event. The man grabbed Simović firmly by his right arm and said: “Come on, get out. You don’t have accreditation; this is a registered gathering.” Simović was wearing a clearly visible press badge and had previously interviewed citizens attending a gathering organised by the Students’ List without incident. He reported the incident to the Kraljevo police and submitted a recording as evidence.
Kristina Demeter Filipčev, a journalist from the Bečejski mozaik portal, has once again received threats following her reporting from an SNS gathering in Bečej. The messages include threats of sexual violence, explicitly misogynistic and sexist insults, as well as language inciting hatred against members of the Hungarian and Croatian communities. IJAS calls on the competent institutions to urgently identify those who sent the messages and determine whether they bear criminal responsibility.
Zdravko Stoilković, a journalist with the entertainment portal Showbizzer.rs, became the target of a social media smear campaign after attending a celebration marking the 30th anniversary of Blic. A photograph of Stoilković from the event was published on the Instagram account “tvojkomsija_udbas” with the caption: “Sometimes I suck Vučić’s d***, sometimes I suck up to the students for likes and just in case. WHAT AM I? A stinking piece of journalistic s*** from Blic.” Using a journalist’s photograph to intimidate or target him, or to exert any form of pressure on his work, is unacceptable.
A journalist’s job is to report on events of interest to the public. Attempts to portray a journalist’s mere presence at an event as evidence of political allegiance serve to discredit journalists and place pressure on them.
IJAS warns that recurring attacks, threats and attempts to remove journalists from election campaign gatherings point to an unacceptable pattern of obstruction of media work. It is particularly concerning that local media journalists are once again being targeted. They work in smaller communities, often without adequate institutional protection and in direct contact with the people on whom they report. The way journalists covering political campaigns are treated is an important indicator of the level of democracy and media freedom in a society, and the treatment of journalists reporting on election campaigns in Serbia reveals serious problems in this area.
Political gatherings and election campaign activities are unquestionably matters of public interest. Journalists have the right to ask questions, record and gather information in public places, regardless of the editorial policy of the media outlet for which they work or how event organisers assess their reporting. Accreditation must not be used as an arbitrary mechanism to exclude critical or “unwelcome” journalists.
We specifically call on the Serbian Progressive Party and all other electoral actors to ensure that journalists are able to perform their work without obstruction.
We call on the police and the competent public prosecutor’s offices to investigate all reported cases urgently, thoroughly and effectively, identify those responsible and inform the public about the measures taken. We demand that all participants in the election campaign, particularly public officials and political officeholders, clearly tell their supporters that attacks, threats, insults and obstruction targeting journalists are unacceptable.
Citizens have the right to receive complete, timely and impartial information about all activities taking place during the election campaign. The ability of journalists to work safely and without obstruction is not a privilege of the media profession, but a fundamental prerequisite for free elections and a democratic society.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, 21 September 2026
