Fifty days after N1 sent inquiries to the Serbian Government and several ministries regarding an attack on its crew near the so-called Caciland, the first and only “response” arrived this Friday. In fact, there is no answer, as the information minister said in response to the question of why no institution reacted to the attack – that they have neither the grounds nor the authority to act in this specific case, and that it falls under the jurisdiction of the Internal Affairs Ministry (MUP). Which remains silent.
On November 20, a man attacked an N1 crew while they were filming near the Serbian Parliament and the regime supporters’ tent encampment, colloquially known as Caciland. The assailant approached the team, demanding they stop recording, before seizing their camera and repeatedly smashing it onto the pavement. Based on prior investigative reports by Radio Free Europe and KRIK, journalist Maja Nikolic identified the attacker as Vladan Sretenovic – a convicted murderer who served 15 years in prison. Despite his identity being known, it took more than 20 days for the police director to confirm that the suspect had been identified and a warrant issued, telling us that we needed to be patient. There has been no progress since.
On November 21, the day after the assault, N1 submitted a series of questions to the Government, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, and the Internal Affairs Ministry:
Why has no institution reacted to this attack, and who will be held accountable for the failure of the dozens of police officers who witnessed the incident to intervene?
Is the police presence in that area solely to protect the residents of Caciland, allowing attacks to go virtually unnoticed?
And an additional question for the Internal Affairs Ministry (MUP) and Minister Ivica Dacic: Will you resign over the failure of MUP officers to act, given that it is your duty to protect all citizens, including journalists doing their jobs?
Despite requests for an urgent reply, the solitary response arrived via email this Friday, though the document header was dated December 19.
“Regarding your letter of November 21, 2025, in which you contacted the Office of the Prime Minister, Professor Djuro Macut, via email, concerning the attack on the N1 television crew, which the Office of the Prime Minister forwarded to the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications for further action, we inform you of the following:
“In your correspondence, you stated that no institution has reacted to the attack on the N1 television crew, and you raised the issue of accountability regarding the inaction of police officers.
“In accordance with the above, and bearing in mind the statements in your letter on the one hand, and the jurisdiction and authority of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications on the other, we inform you that the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications has neither the grounds nor the authority to act in this specific case, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry,” reads the response signed by Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications Boris Bratina.
Source: N1
