*Correction: Journalists Žarko Bogosavljević is from the portal Razglas-news, not portal 021.rs.
The SafeJournalists Network strongly condemns the brutal use of force by the police and Gendarmerie against journalists, students and citizens during today’s events in front of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education in Novi Sad. We also condemn the latest death threats sent to the N1 television newsroom through an email threatening to shoot N1 journalists and protesting students.
Students and citizens gathered this morning in front of the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education to prevent Dean Patrik Drid from “trying to break through the blockade of that faculty”. On that occasion, the police used force indiscriminately.
The journalist of the portal Razglas-news, Žarko Bogosavljević, who was wearing a PRESS vest, was among the citizens and students who were beaten by the police today.
He told the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) that it was not clear what the reason for the police intervention was, because until that moment none of the gathered citizens tried to fight back.
“In my opinion, their use of force was inappropriate. When the pushing started, I received pepper spray, as did dozens of people. I also received two blows, one with a baton, the other with a shield, and a push. And when there was a second intervention, a member of the intervention team hit me with a shield at the side entrance,” said Bogosavljević.
The journalists of the N1 television previously received death threats on Friday.
“I would be happy to shoot all of you together from house N1 with Đilas and Šolak so that all the traitorous scum will disappear. I would also shoot all these poisoned students=mob who have no hope of recovering from your disease!!! Get lost, you disgusting fascists, all of you!”, was the message that the N1 editorial office received on Friday via email.
The SafeJournalists Network warns that such messages of hatred and violence clearly represent a criminal offense and must be treated as a serious threat to the safety of journalists and citizens. We call on the competent authorities, especially the Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia, to urgently identify and prosecute the person who sent these threats.
We also express concern about the attack on journalist Žarko Bogosavljević by the police, who was performing his journalistic task – to report to the public about events of public interest. Also, the practice of the last few months in which the police did not respond to attacks and interference with journalists during reporting, even though they were on the scene, is worrying.
The SafeJournalists Network demands from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia an urgent and thorough investigation of all the circumstances of this incident, the identification and prosecution of responsible police officers, as well as ensuring the protection of journalists who perform their work in accordance with the highest professional standards.
The task of the police is not to brutally suppress civil protests and freedom of expression, but to protect the rights and safety of all citizens, including journalists.
These incidents once again confirm the worrying level of threats to journalists in Serbia and the atmosphere of impunity in which attacks and threats against media workers are happening more and more often, especially since the beginning of the student protests.
The SafeJournalists Network will inform both national and international stakeholders about these troubling developments.
Any attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, public interest, and fundamental human rights.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, 28.04.2025
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
