Today marks the International Day of Democracy. On this occasion, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) joins the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in calling for the fight against censorship and the defense of journalism, and reminds that there can be no democracy without a free media.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
The link between democracy and media freedom is further enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Nevertheless, around the world there are governments and power-holders who find many ways to obstruct it.
Data from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) show that more than seventy journalists have already been killed worldwide in 2025.
When the media are silenced, democracy ceases to exist. According to the latest annual report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the global state of media freedom has fallen to a new low. In half of the world’s countries, people have limited or even no access to free and independent news.
Among the 180 countries for which Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calculates the World Press Freedom Index, Serbia was ranked 96th in the latest report.
So far this year, IJAS has documented as many as 195 threats and attacks against journalists, compared with 131 incidents recorded over the whole of last year.
In August alone, IJAS recorded a total of 46 incidents targeting journalists and media workers—the highest monthly number of attacks and threats since the start of the year. The largest number of physical assaults occurred during civic protests held across Serbia. In that month alone, 25 physical attacks were recorded, including as many as 14 carried out by police officers.
In a democratic system, the media oversee those in power, provide space for public debate, and enable citizens to make informed decisions. Attacks on journalists, political targeting, and censorship directly undermine these functions and erode the fundamental pillars of democracy.
On the International Day of Democracy, IJAS reiterates that free and safe journalists are a precondition for a democratic society. We call on all institutions, political actors, and citizens to jointly defend the public’s right to know—because without a free press, there is no democracy.
