The SafeJournalists Network strongly condemns a series of incidents in which journalists and camera operators reporting in the public interest were targeted and attacked during and after the “All-People’s Assembly” organized by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Niš.
Journalist Ivana Marković and cameraman Dejan Marković from Nova TV, as well as Tamara Radovanović from Južne vesti, were subjected to physical and verbal assaults. Additionally, Nikola Doderović, a correspondent for Australia’s SBS Radio and a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš, was detained without any legal grounds while reporting from the event with a colleague.
A day earlier, ahead of the central gathering, N1 TV cameraman Marjan Vučetić was physically attacked in the village of Makovište while attempting to film an event attended by SNS President Miloš Vučević. According to Vučetić, the attack was initiated by the local community leader, in plain sight of Vučević.
Ivana and Dejan Marković were assaulted in the city center by two men who insulted, pushed, and shouted at them through a megaphone to leave. Tamara Radovanović was attacked while filming buses transporting SNS supporters. The attacker tried to knock the phone out of her hand, and instead of protecting her, the police removed her from the scene—allegedly to “reduce tension”—without taking any action against the attacker. This incident marks yet another failure by the police to protect journalists, thereby enabling others to attack them without consequence.
Of particular concern is that independent journalists were not granted access to the fenced-off area of the central event, as accreditations were reportedly given only to media outlets aligned with the ruling party. This constitutes discrimination against media that were effectively barred from covering a public gathering.
Additional alarm is raised by the detention of Nikola Doderović and his colleague, who were held by police and questioned about their reporting motives, again without any legal justification—an act that represents a clear form of intimidation.
The SafeJournalists Network demands an immediate and effective response from the police and the prosecution, including the identification and prosecution of all attackers. We also call on the Ministry of Interior to put an end to the practice of unjustified detentions of journalists, to ensure their safety on the ground, and to enable them to report freely from protests and other public events. It is essential that authorities provide clear explanations for every case of detention without valid legal grounds. Police officers must stop inadequate responses to attacks on journalists and act in accordance with professional standards and the laws of the Republic of Serbia.
Attacks on journalists are attacks on freedom of expression and the public’s right to be informed. Any tolerance of violence against the media further weakens Serbia’s already fragile democracy and turns fear into the new “normal” for journalists who are professionally fulfilling their duties. We remind the authorities that it is the state’s obligation to ensure a safe environment for media workers.
The SafeJournalists Network calls on international organizations and partners to closely monitor the situation and to exert additional pressure on Serbian institutions to guarantee the safety of journalists and respect for their rights.
The SafeJournalists Network will inform national and international stakeholders about these troubling developments and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Any attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, public interest, and fundamental human rights.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, 19 May 2025
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
