The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns the intimidation and obstruction of Radio Sto Plus journalist and Beta news agency correspondent Mejrema Nokić during a Serbian Progressive Party pre-election rally in Novi Pazar, as well as the public disclosure of lists containing the personal data of citizens in Čačak, including journalists. We demand that the competent authorities urgently determine who was responsible for publishing the data.
On Saturday, Mejrema Nokić was subjected to intimidation and obstructed while carrying out her professional duties and reporting from a Serbian Progressive Party rally in Novi Pazar.
According to the journalist, while she was filming the rally, Dejan Belojica, director of the Novi Pazar Tourism Organisation, followed her for several dozen seconds and conspicuously recorded her with his mobile phone, pointing the camera directly at her and zooming in. Although he denied filming her, Nokić stated that his actions were clearly visible in the videos she recorded.
At the time, the journalist was on assignment in a public space and was wearing a vest clearly marked “PRESS”. Shortly afterwards, she was approached by a young man whom she claims is a member of the security services. He asked her to leave, explaining that Serbian Progressive Party officials considered filming by journalists to be a provocation. As she already felt intimidated and unsafe, she followed her colleague’s advice and left the scene.
Recording a journalist in a manner clearly intended to intimidate her, as well as suggesting that legitimate journalistic reporting constitutes a “provocation”, represents unacceptable pressure on media freedom. Journalists have the right to report from public and political gatherings, particularly during election campaigns, without being followed, intimidated or pressured to leave the scene.
IJAS calls on the organisers of political gatherings and security personnel to ensure that journalists can work without obstruction and to refrain from any conduct that constitutes a threat or pressure.
At the same time, journalists from the Čačak-based Epicentar Press portal informed IJAS that citizens, including journalists, had appeared on lists allegedly linked to the collection of so-called “secure votes” for the Serbian Progressive Party. According to their account, the personal data of entire families, including their addresses and telephone numbers, were made public. Some names were marked “AGAINST”, apparently indicating that those individuals would not vote for electoral list number one. People on the list were also labelled “blockaders”.
Epicentar Press journalist Milena Gavrilović confirmed that her name also appeared on the list and that Serbian Progressive Party activists had neither called nor visited the listed individuals at their home addresses. The public disclosure of addresses, telephone numbers and other personal information represents a serious violation of citizens’ privacy and endangers their safety. It is particularly concerning that journalists are among those listed and that they have been politically labelled as “blockaders”, a term frequently used in public discourse to target critical citizens and media professionals.
IJAS calls on the police and the public prosecutor’s office to determine who collected, processed and published these data, for what purpose, and whether they were obtained from official records. We also call on the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection to initiate proceedings within the scope of their authority, if necessary.
Such conduct creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity, obstructs journalists in their work and may lead to self-censorship. Institutions have an obligation not only to respond after incidents occur but also to prevent journalists and citizens from being further endangered, particularly during the sensitive period of an election campaign.
IJAS will record both cases in its database of attacks and pressure against journalists and notify international organisations monitoring media freedom.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, 5 October 2026
