UPDATED 06.02.2025 Several journalists have been dismissed and a number of attacks against media professionals have been recorded since wider protests swept across Serbia following a fatal accident at a train station on 1 November 2024. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) join their affiliates, the Independent Journalists’ Association (NUNS), the Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Union of Journalists and Media Workers of Serbia (SINOS), in condemning the attacks and calling for justice and accountability.
In accordance with the Belgian Law of 23 June 1961 on the right of reply, we publish below Mondo INC d.o.o. ’s counterstatement to the article entitled “Serbia: IFJ and EFJ sound alarm about press restrictions and dismissals”, published on 31.01.25. See below.
However, we contest any intention to cause harm and demand that full light be shed on the termination of the collaboration with journalist Tara Đukić.
In recent weeks, Serbia has been shaken by large-scale protests after the roof of a newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed on 1 November 2024, killing 15 people. The disaster has been linked to government corruption, negligence and poor construction standards.
The accident has grown into a wider anti-corruption movement, with demonstrators demanding greater transparency and accountability from authorities. The protests, which have drawn support from students, professors, farmers and the public at large, have led to daily demonstrations and road blockades across the country and triggered Prime Minister Miloš Vučević’s resignation on 28 January.
More than 80 newsrooms in Serbia had gone on strike on 24 January in response to an action of “general civil disobedience” organised by Serbian students.
In the course of January 2025, NUNS recorded over 30 attacks, verbal threats and incidents of pressure perpetrated against journalists for doing their jobs, either by public officials, police forces or individuals.
For example, public service RTS correspondent from Novi Sad, Milan Srdić, has been prevented from reporting on current events in Novi Sad. In an open letter posted on his Facebook profile, he wrote about how he has been prevented from doing his job.
On 22 January, the editorial staff of the Maglocistač portal received death threats via Facebook’s messaging app.
The KRIK investigative news portal was also targeted with a lawsuit by Jelena Tanasković, director of the Serbian Railways Infrastructure and one of those suspected of being to blame for the train station accident.
The IFJ and EFJ also point to suspicious dismissals of journalists who had been participating in demonstrations as private individuals.
Award winning journalist Vojislava Crnjanski-Spasojević, who had been working for Novosti, was dismissed on 13 January for alleged “ technological, economic, and organisational changes”. Her dismissal came a day after she posted a photo on her private instagram profile story from the protest in front of the Faculty of Law and ten days after she had voiced her concerns about the disclosure of the personal data of two students on Novosti’s portal.
Another Novosti journalist who had posted her photo on social media during the protest was dismissed due to alleged “budget cuts” while the same media has, according to SINOS, hired several new freelancers and recently increased their pay.
Editor of the ELLE magazine website, Tara Đukić, was informed that her collaboration with the magazine had been terminated after she publicly supported students’ views and protests that they had organised.
The IFJ and the EFJ said: “We stand with journalists in Serbia who are carrying out their reporting activities in a climate of serious intimidation and violence. We urge the Serbian authorities to investigate every single case of attacks against our colleagues. Media freedom is essential in a democracy and the public’s right to know must be protected, by all means possible, with solid safeguards for press freedom.”
The IFJ encourages the newly formed government to maintain a constructive dialogue with its affiliate SINOS in the negotiations for a new branch collective agreement covering media that will champion equal treatment for all media workers in the media industry.
Mondo INC d.o.o. Counterstatement
Mondo INC doo, publisher of ELLE in Serbia is addressing the public regarding inaccurate facts published at IFJ on 31.01.2025.
Article falsely and maliciously claims that collaboration with editor of ELLE website has been terminated after she publicly supported students’ views and protests.
In December 2024, a routine analysis of the editorial teams’ performance over the past six months was conducted in media we publish, including ELLE. The ELLE web editor failed to meet set plans, as there was a significant decline in business metrics within her scope of work. Based on the findings, organizational decisions were made to improve performance and financial results.
Editor never stated that termination is in relation to her stances.
We are disappointed that you failed to convey our statement on the matter cited in the article used as the source, and were misled by one sided interpretation of one organization (“Osnažene”). Such allegations were used in malicious bids to exploit our business decisions for daily political aims.
We have always supported the right to personal choice, freedom of speech, all forms of expression, which we consider the foundation upon which development of our company rests.
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International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)’s comments to Mondo INC d.o.o.’s counterstatement
The IFJ and its affiliates, the Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Journalists’ Association (NUNS) are not convinced by the publisher’s explanations to justify the dismissal of journalist Tara Đukić, who intends to challenge the breach of her contract in court.
The IFJ and its affiliates confirm that she was indeed criticised for the content of an article on the student protests, even though the article had been approved by her editor-in-chief. After returning to work on 9 January, the journalist was immediately notified of her dismissal, with the official reason of an internal restructuring that removed the position of web editor.
There was never any question of her allegedly poor journalistic performance in her termination letter, as the publisher claims. On the contrary, six months before her dismissal, the journalist was given a pay rise in recognition of her good journalistic performance.
Source: IFJ
