The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom, today expressed serious concern over numerous incidents of violence towards journalists and media workers documenting protests in Serbia.

Over the last two nights, IPI documented at least 11 different incidents involving physical attacks, beatings, threats to journalists’ safety or destruction of equipment of reporters documenting the anti-government demonstrations, by both police and protesters.

At least six journalists have been injured, with one journalist from the Beta News Agency spending the night in hospital after being beaten to the ground with batons by riot police despite clearly showing his journalist ID.
While the majority of incidents occurred in the capital Belgrade, violence against media spread to other cities last night as several TV crews and reporters were attacked in Novi Sad and Niš.

“During these protests we have seen an unacceptable number of incidents where journalists and camera operators clearly identifiable as members of the media have been deliberately targeted by both protesters and the police”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said.

“The blatant destruction of property, disruption of live reports and violence towards journalists that we have seen in the last two days puts journalist safety at risk and seriously hampers the rights of citizens to stay informed. We urge both protesters and authorities in Serbia to ensure journalists, cameramen and other media workers are able to work without fear of threats and violence as they cover ongoing events.”
The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) called on authorities to find those responsible and urged both police and citizens to stand up for the protection of journalists.

The Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (IJAS) also denounced the violence, saying: “It is inadmissible for journalists to suffer physical violence, attacks and destruction of equipment.”
IJAS president Zeljko Bodrozic previously called on police to pay special attention to the protection of media crews and urged colleagues to wear press cards and avoid situations that could endanger their safety.
The SafeJournalists Network, a regional monitoring body for press freedom, echoed the call from IJAS and said each attack on journalists is an attack on public interest, democracy and rights of all citizens.

The protests stem from a decision by the Serbian government to re-impose a weekend curfew because of a rise in coronavirus infections despite previously holding recent presidential elections without special measures.
During the recent election, IPI also documented a number of threats and attacks on journalists.

According to the journalists’ organizations, the most severe case is one of Beta’s reporter, Zikica Stevanovic, who had to be taken to hospital for head injuries. He told UNS what happened in Belgrade: “As they (police officers) hit me, I began to fall reflexively, because of the blows, but also to show them that I was not resisting. Although I landed, they continued to beat me. How many of them, I do not know exactly. Judging by the traces of batons from the leaves to the back and head, maybe two, maybe three.”

For the second time in two days, Nova S portal journalist Milica Božinović was attacked by the police despite repeatedly identifying herself as a journalist.

Journalists working for the public broadcaster RTS Milan Srdić and Lazar Vukadinović were physically attacked by protesters in Novi Sad. On that occasion, the cameraman Vukadinović’s hand was injured and the camera was broken, while Srdić experienced verbal insults. In Nis, the RTS journalist team experienced physical assaults and verbal insults, and demonstrators poured water into their camera.

“It is of particular concern is the fact that the police used serious physical force against the journalists, despite the fact that they had previously identified themselves. Bearing in mind that last night’s attacks were more brutal than the previous night, and that the police obviously do not respond to appeals to protect journalists and not to attack them, we interpret this behavior as a deliberate attack on those whose task is to report Serbian citizens on events of public interest,” said NUNS in a statement.