The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) said that Serbia applies double standards in its handling of threats, noting that while authorities react immediately to threats against state officials, a culture of impunity prevails when journalists are targeted.
According to ANEM, police successfully identified and arrested an individual who had threatened Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic and Chief Public Prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade Nenad Stefanovic, on the X social media platform. The arrest took place just one day after the police received a warrant from the Special Department for High-Tech Crime of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.
“The operation was treated as a media spectacle, with cameras present to capture the arrest. The footage was then shared with tabloids and circulated on social media. The state demonstrates this same level of efficiency when threats are directed at the president or other high-ranking officials,” the Association said.
ANEM emphasized that this efficiency vanishes when journalists are the targets, despite the legal requirement that all citizens receive equal protection.
From the beginning of 2025 through June 2026, 111 cases involving threats to the safety of journalists, media workers, and editorial offices were reported to the Special Department for High-Tech Crime at the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.
Of those 111 reports, only one case has reached a legal conclusion. That case was transferred to the Juvenile Department, resulting in a “group treatment” mandate for one minor and a judicial warning for another.
“Essentially, only one out of 111 reported cases has been resolved. Meanwhile, in 51 instances, the police failed to comply with prosecutorial requests to identify suspects—a stark contrast to how they handled the threats against the minister and chief prosecutor. This represents a state of near-total impunity,” ANEM said.
The organization argued that the rapid identification and arrest of the suspect in the officials’ case proves the state has the capacity to act effectively when it chooses to.
“When it comes to journalists, that will is clearly absent,” they added.
ANEM noted that over 100 journalists have been exposed to threats over the past 18 months, leaving them and their families in a constant state of fear. Six journalists were eventually forced to flee Serbia because the state failed to provide an adequate response to the threats against them.
“For years, we have been receiving threats, filing criminal complaints, going to the police and prosecutor’s office, and giving detailed statements—all for nothing. In contrast, when politicians or top prosecutors are threatened, the entire case is wrapped up in a single weekend. The suspect is arrested in a media spectacle—often in their underwear—and the footage is immediately shared with tabloids. While we strongly condemn every threat, we believe that the use of excessive force and the public humiliation of suspects is unacceptable,” said Veran Matic, Chairman of the ANEM Board.
Matic called on the police and the prosecution to protect all citizens equally, regardless of whether they are journalists or state officials.
Source: N1
