The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS/NUNS) strongly condemns the latest threats and attacks against journalists in Serbia, which clearly demonstrate that their safety is gravely endangered.
We remind the public that in recent months Serbia has seen a worrying increase in threats, pressure, and attacks on journalists. Just this past Friday:
- journalist Vuk Cvijić was attacked by a police officer in riot gear, who sprayed him with a chemical substance while he was peacefully standing with colleagues near the General Staff building, leaving him completely blinded for the next hour;
- photojournalist Marija Čolaković was beaten with telescopic batons by the police, sustaining visible injuries to her arms and legs;
- student photojournalist Luka Pešić, reporting for student outlets, was chased twice by police officers while documenting arrests near the Vuk Karadžić monument;
- according to media reports, threatening messages such as “we are coming,” “scum” and similar were sent to the official emails of RTS correspondents in Požarevac and other cities;
- the newsroom of the Subotica-based portal Magločistač received a brutal death threat in which an individual stated they would attack the lives and bodies of staff members or their close ones, with horrifying words: “I will f** your slaughtered children with gouged-out eyes, you and Magločistač.”* A criminal complaint for endangering safety has been filed with the High-Tech Crime Prosecutor’s Office.
IJAS will report the attack on Marija Čolaković and demands that competent institutions immediately launch investigations into all these incidents, identify those responsible, and sanction them.
We remind the authorities that everyone has the right to record police conduct, as long as they do not interfere with police work. Journalists are carrying out their duties in the public interest, and their job is to document events. The obligation of the police is to protect them and ensure they can perform their work. Instead of doing so, the police continue to attack journalists and media workers, not only preventing them from doing their jobs but directly endangering their safety—something that is deeply concerning and absolutely unacceptable.
We demand that the police immediately stop such conduct and direct violations of the law, and begin to fulfill their duty—to protect citizens and provide journalists with normal and safe working conditions. Any further violence against journalists represents a serious undermining of the rule of law and democratic order.
IJAS calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take responsibility for the actions of its officers, to prevent such attacks, and to ensure conditions in which journalists can safely perform their work. All acts of violence and threats must be sanctioned in accordance with the law.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS/NUNS)
Belgrade, 18 August 2025
