The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS/NUNS) strongly condemns the latest violent and unlawful actions by officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs against journalists and photojournalists. We call on the police to stop attacking and detaining journalists, and to take appropriate measures against officers who abuse their power and intimidate media workers.
On the evening of July 25, a TV N1 crew — journalist Nenad Nešić and cameraman Aleksandar Cvrkotić — was forcibly removed, obstructed, and had their equipment seized while reporting from the scene. On the same day, journalist Dragoljub Đorđević was detained while doing his job, questioned by a public prosecutor, and held in custody.
During a highway blockade on the Miloš Veliki motorway near Lazarevac, while reporting live, a member of the Gendarmerie assaulted journalist Nešić and cameraman Cvrkotić. Although the crew had already complied with a police request to leave the highway area, the officer — who had no visible identification — aggressively shoved the cameraman, who was already off the road. The situation escalated when Cvrkotić turned his camera toward the officer, who then attempted to seize the equipment by force. After a brief physical struggle, the officer failed to take the camera and left the scene. Although the incident was not formally reported, N1 has requested that the Ministry of Interior disclose the officer’s identity and badge number.
In a separate incident, Dragoljub Đorđević, a journalist with the labor-focused newspaper Kolubara, was stopped, identified, and then detained in Lazarevac for allegedly participating in the highway blockade. He spent the night in custody. According to the information provided by the misdemeanor judge before whom he testified the following morning, he is charged with a serious traffic offense. He was arrested by a police officer based on an oral order from a member of the Gendarmerie who allegedly instructed the officer to “detain that person.” At no point was Đorđević physically on the highway; he was recording the blockade and police action from a grassy area behind the roadside barrier. A misdemeanor proceeding is now underway, along with the collection of evidence and official statements.
IJAS demands that the Ministry of Internal Affairs immediately conduct an internal investigation and identify all officers involved in these incidents, and that the public be informed of the investigation’s findings. We also call on the competent prosecutor’s office to urgently examine all circumstances surrounding these unnecessary police actions and initiate criminal proceedings against the responsible officers and their superiors.
The police must act in accordance with the law, protect citizens, and allow journalists to perform their duties without obstruction. Intimidating, attacking, and detaining media professionals is unacceptable and represents a serious violation of fundamental rights and a blatant abuse of power.
Considering this is a continuation of unacceptable abuses by the Ministry of Interior, we demand that the police immediately cease all unlawful and violent conduct, and that all responsible individuals — in this and other incidents — be identified and prosecuted without delay.
IJAS will not remain silent while media workers are harassed for doing their job. We expect the relevant institutions to act decisively and responsibly.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS/NUNS)
Belgrade, July 28, 2025
