The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS/NUNS) strongly condemns the new threats directed at journalists, as well as the police attack during a citizens’ protest in front of the building housing the court and the prosecutor’s office in Novi Sad.
During a police operation this morning in front of the Novi Sad court, N1 journalist Lea Apro and Razglas News journalist Žarko Bogosavljević were repeatedly struck with shields and hands despite clearly displaying press markings and credentials.
Bogosavljević shouted: “Journalist! What are you doing? You are not allowed to hit a journalist!”, while in the recordings Apro can also be clearly heard identifying herself as a journalist.
The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia once again calls on the Ministry of Interior to put an end to unlawful police actions against journalists and to ensure they can work freely in the public interest. Such behavior of the police toward journalists is unacceptable and dangerous, as it directly undermines press freedom and democracy.
Alongside police violence, threats against journalists continue on a daily basis. A threatening message was posted on the website of the Inđija-based portal In Medija, stating: “I’ll pump your slaughtered children, you stinkers. A gang of scoundrels and hooligans. There will be civil war, and God willing my hands will be bloody.” It is suspected that the same person recently sent threats to journalists from the Subotica-based outlet Magločistač.
N1 journalist Mladen Savatović was also targeted yesterday with threats on social media. On the Facebook page of N1 Serbia, a user under the name “Zdravko Simic” wrote: “I’ll beat up this gay Savatović the moment I run into him anywhere.”
In this unacceptable and incendiary atmosphere, the Office of the Prosecutor for High-Tech Crime must urgently respond to the threats directed at In Medija and N1, identify the perpetrators, and initiate proceedings against them.
The competent institutions must ensure swift and effective proceedings in all cases of attacks and threats against journalists and must clearly demonstrate that violence against journalists will not be tolerated. Every attempt to intimidate journalists constitutes an attack on the public interest and the citizens’ right to be informed, and tolerating such practices leads to the erosion of the rule of law.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS/NUNS)
Belgrade, August 20, 2025
