The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns today’s attacks, threats and obstruction of journalists in Kragujevac, Bečej and Belgrade. Glas Šumadije reporter Aleksandra Kostić was verbally attacked and threatened while reporting from a gathering of supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party, journalist Kristina Demeter had her phone taken away by a man while filming a gathering in Bečej, while N1 television reporter Mladen Savatović was threatened and faced an attempted physical attack while carrying out his journalistic work.
Glas Šumadije reporter Aleksandra Kostić was reporting today from a gathering of supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party ahead of their departure for the Belgrade Arena. While reporting live on Glas Šumadije’s Facebook page and filming people gathered around buses, a man standing behind her told her: “Don’t make me throw that phone at the bus.” When Kostić asked him to repeat what he had said in front of the camera, the man began mockingly commenting on her press credentials and repeatedly told her to “go away”, while moving his body closer towards her and the phone. The reporter was wearing a clearly visible PRESS mark at all times.
On the same day in Bečej, journalist Kristina Demeter was also attacked while filming a gathering of supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party. According to information provided to IJAS, a man employed by a local public company took her phone and refused to return it, demanding that she delete the recorded material. After Demeter refused, the man placed the phone on a tree branch, from where the journalist managed to retrieve it with the assistance of police officers. The police were informed about the incident, as was the duty prosecutor, and the journalist will report the attack to the competent authorities.
The third serious incident occurred in Belgrade, where N1 television reporter Mladen Savatović was once again attacked while carrying out a journalistic assignment. Savatović and a cameraman were filming a building in Kraljevića Marka Street, in the Savski Venac municipality, which is suspected of being used for the registration of so-called phantom voters, when two older men approached them. One of the men attempted to prevent the N1 crew from filming the building, even though the journalists pointed out that they were standing in a public area, and then attempted to move the camera. The crew subsequently called the police. According to N1, the man, who introduced himself as a doorman and was later identified as the father of former handball player Vladimir Mandić, the owner of the building and a prominent member of the Serbian Progressive Party, then began insulting and threatening Savatović. When he moved towards the journalist in an apparent attempt to physically attack him, another man intervened and prevented the situation from escalating further, after which they returned to the building. Although the N1 crew was told that police officers would come to the scene, the police did not arrive.
For Mladen Savatović, this was the second serious incident in just two days. The previous day, while reporting outside the Belgrade City Administration building, an unidentified man threatened him by saying that “next time he would smash his head”.
IJAS warns that three incidents in a single day demonstrate the extent to which journalists are exposed to pressure, threats and direct obstruction while attempting to perform work in the public interest.
It is particularly concerning that all three cases occurred while journalists were reporting on political gatherings or issues of particular public importance ahead of the elections. Journalists must be able to film, ask questions and report from public events without facing threats, the seizure of their equipment, physical aggression or attempts to influence the content of their reporting.
IJAS calls on the police and competent prosecutors’ offices to establish all the circumstances surrounding these incidents without delay, identify those responsible and take appropriate action in accordance with the law.
We also call on representatives of political parties and public officials to send a clear message to their members, supporters and employees of public institutions that attacks, threats and obstruction of journalists are unacceptable.
IJAS will record all three cases in its database of attacks and pressure against journalists and will monitor the response of the competent institutions.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, 3 October 2026
