The Coalition for Media Freedom demands that the authorities immediately stop the intimidating and ominous media campaign being waged against Veran Matić, President of the Managing Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists (PWG), which seriously endangers his safety.
We have no doubt that the dehumanizing campaign against Matić originates from the very top of the state, given that it is being conducted in media outlets close to the authorities, and that its impetus came from the documentary film “Evil Times 2,” produced by the obscure Novi Sad–based organization Center for Social Stability, whose leaders are individuals employed within the state apparatus.
That this is an organized and targeted campaign is evidenced by the fact that the film was broadcast on a large number of television stations close to the authorities and was heavily promoted in advance.
In the film, Matić is portrayed in a crude and sensationalist manner as an enemy of the state and society, effectively calling for his lynching. He is labeled a “foreign agent” who has allegedly been working against Serbia for decades.
The film, however, is only one part of a broader media campaign against Matić that is currently ongoing and was announced last year by President Aleksandar Vučić, who publicly singled out and labeled Veran Matić.
We also have no doubt that the reason for this campaign lies in Matić’s fight for the safety of journalists at a time when they are more endangered than ever in the history of this country, as well as his advocacy for uncovering and prosecuting those responsible for the murders of journalists Dada Vujasinović, Slavko Ćuruvija, and Milan Pantić – an effort that is clearly not in the interest of the current authorities.
We remind the public that, according to the database of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, an ignominious record in endangering journalists’ safety was reached last year: as many as 383 incidents were recorded, more than double the number from the previous year. Even more alarming is the fact that in 2025 alone, 116 physical attacks on journalists were registered – five times more than in the previous, also dismal year.
Instead of protecting journalists and freedom of expression, the authorities in Serbia have declared war not only on journalists but also on those who protect their safety.
We also recall that Matić has previously been targeted by enemies of media freedom and that he lived under round-the-clock police protection for six years.
Coalition for Media Freedom: the Media Association, the Online Media Association (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Lokal Pres,” the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, and the “Nezavisnost” Branch Trade Union of Culture, Art and Media.
