The Council of Europe (CoE) Safety of Journalists Platform said it expects the Serbian authorities to launch a swift and thorough investigation into assaults on two TV cameramen covering a protest in Novi Sad late last year.
A press release said that the N1 and Euronews cameramen were assaulted documenting a protest in front of the headquarters of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad.
N1’s Nikola Popovic was assaulted during a live broadcast on November 5 by a person from the crowd, who punched him in the hands, knocking the camera to the pavement and damaging it. “Prior to the attack, Popovic had reported that he and his colleague were repeatedly insulted by another individual with obscene gestures and comments, including sexist insults. Moments later, another person knocked a camera operator with Euronews to the ground,” it added.
The press release recalled that the SafeJournalists Network and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) condemned the assaults and lack of police reaction despite a strong presence.
The CoE Safety of Journalists Platfrom said the perpetrators should be sentenced for the assaults. It added that it received information about the assaults from the Serbian Supreme Public Prosecution.
Source: N1
