OSCE Media Freedom Representative Ribeiro and Head of Mission Braathu concerned over targeting of journalists in Serbia, urge thorough investigation

VIENNA/BELGRADE, 10 March 2023 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Jan Braathu, expressed their concerns today over the recent targeting of several journalists in Serbia, urging the authorities to thoroughly investigate all incidents and swiftly bring all those responsible to justice, as proscribed by Serbian law.

According to reports, three journalists have recently been subjected to violence and intimidation, offline and online, while another journalist felt compelled to leave the country over safety concerns.

On 7 March, Marko Dragoslavić, a journalist with FoNet news agency, was assaulted by an unknown individual shortly after covering the “Students for Kosovo” rally in Belgrade. Meanwhile, on the same day, Stevan Dojcinović, journalist and editor of the award-winning investigative media outlet Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) received online threats calling for his murder.

Earlier, on 3 March, Milan Nikić, a local journalist working for N1 TV in the city of Kragujevac, reported to the authorities that an unknown individual had surveilled his apartment for 40 minutes. Prior to this, an unknown person had confronted Nikić while he was covering a protest of dismissed workers of the Kragujevac ‘waterworks and sewerage’ public utility company.

Furthermore, journalist and writer Marko Vidojković and his wife were recently relocated to an unknown location outside of Serbia with the support of PEN International. The relocation followed a series of anonymous death threats on social media during the recent years. Vidojković, with his colleague Nenad Kulacin, regularly hosts the podcast “Dobar, Loš, Zao” (The Good, the Bad and the Evil).

“I am concerned by acts of violence and threats against journalists in Serbia. No journalist should face attacks or intimidation over their work, or be compelled to leave their home country for that matter. Acts that threaten the personal safety and integrity of journalists represent a serious obstacle to media freedom and hamper the free flow of information and citizens’ right to access information of public interest. I urge the authorities to do their utmost to thoroughly investigate all the incidents and swiftly bring all perpetrators to justice, and ensure journalist’s safety, online and offline,” Ribeiro said.

“The safety of journalists is a fundamental principle among the OSCE participating states. Each case of attack on journalists and other media professionals should be efficiently and effectively investigated and condemned publicly by the authorities, as foreseen by the 2018 OSCE Decision on Safety of Journalists. The Mission will continue cooperating with the Permanent Working Group for Safety of Journalists, government institutions and media organisations in line with OSCE consensus commitments,” Braathu added.  

Representative Ribeiro and Ambassador Braathu call the authorities to continue implementing the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalist and to ensure full compliance with OSCE commitments and international freedom of expression standards in order to enable the safety and freedom of journalists in practice.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.