Brutal attacks on journalists in Serbia are crossing all lines! The Serbian Journalists Association (ANS) has today fiercely condemned the organized and increasingly frequent attacks on journalists, which they say are the result of media witch hunts and false accusations. Journalists from Informer, like Anja Vesović, have been brutally physically and verbally attacked while professionally reporting from the field. In Kosjerić, journalists had their cars scratched, property destroyed, and received direct threats – all aimed at intimidating and preventing them from doing their work. This is not an incident, but a systemic lynching of journalists in Serbia! ANS demands urgent action from state authorities and prosecution of perpetrators according to the law.
The attacks have been ongoing for days, with journalists from Kurir and Informer enduring daily insults, threats, and attacks. Instead of protection, they become targets of certain media, political organizations, and circles that consciously publicly target them. A particularly highlighted case is that of public figure Marija Mikić, who was the target of a brutal campaign of lies and false accusations of “breaking the blockade,” exposing her to a dangerous lynching. ANS clearly states: this is not journalism, this is media abuse!
The Association calls on all responsible media, institutions, associations, and individuals to unequivocally distance themselves from violence against journalists and publicly condemn such attacks. Silence is complicity! No one, whether a journalist, public figure, or ordinary citizen, should be exposed to false accusations and media violence. ANS will not remain silent and will defend the right of every journalist to work freely, with dignity, and safely.
Is this the beginning of the end of media freedom in Serbia? Will the state finally put a stop to this madness? Or will we watch journalists turn into targets while the authorities and media look the other way? Share your thoughts, because this is not just their problem – it’s all of ours!
