09. Nov 2024
At least four media crews have recently been attacked while reporting on antigovernment protests in Serbia. At earlier meetings in Belgrade, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) asked the information minister and president’s media advisor for measures against the impunity of crimes committed against journalists, abusive lawsuits targeting them and against the Kremlin’s disinformation.
The attacks on Serbian media covering the anti-government protests after the deadly accident at the Novi Sad railway station have once again highlighted the dangers faced by those reporting in public interest. On 5 November, violent individuals broke the camera of Serbia’s independent channel, N1, and knocked down the cameraman of Euronews, while reporters of the local radio, 021, were attacked with paint and plastic bottles. After a protest in Belgrade on the same night against the removal of a bridge, an extreme right politician assaulted and threatened with death the cameraman of the news agency FoNet.
These incidents add to the long history of unchecked violence, including the unresolved 1999 killing of Slavko Curuvija. As shown by the defamation lawsuits filed by the former defendants against the Slavko Curuvija Foundation for its exasperation over their February 2024 acquittal, the lack of justice exacerbates the risks for media professionals.
In Serbia, ranked 98th out of 180 countries – second to the last in the European Union (EU) and Balkans zone – in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index, the citizens’ access to trustworthy information is further undermined by Russian propaganda and abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs) targeting the media. RSF discussed the issues during its mission to Belgrade from 31 October to 4 November with representatives of journalists, international community and the government – Minister of Information, Dejan Ristic, and media advisor to the Serbian president, Suzana Vasiljevic.
“Right to propaganda replacing the right to information. Perpetrators of attacks against journalists presented as victims. Freedom of the medias’ enemies instead of media freedom. Serbia is the informational weak link of Europe. At my meetings with the authorities in Belgrade, I urged them to take measures against Russian propaganda, abusive lawsuits and the impunity of crimes committed against journalists. Speaking to the international community in Serbia, I pleaded for their support for such action.
Pavol Szalai, Head of the EU-Balkans Desk at RSF
As highlighted by RSF at the Brave New Media Forum organised by the Deutsche Welle Akademie on 2 November, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, urgent action of the Serbian authorities is needed in the following three areas:
Attacks on journalists and lack of justice. In addition to the emblematic case of Slavko Curuvija and other journalists’ killings, justice has not been served in more recent cases such as death threats to the Novi Sad-based journalists Ana Lalic and Dinko Gruhonjic in March 2024. The person suspected of the threats – which followed the repeated defamatory remarks by the leader of the parliamentary majority – fled Serbia while being under arrest. During its Belgrade mission, RSF expressed concerns about the political attacks on journalists and asked the government to create conditions for the justice system to swiftly hold responsible the authors of crimes against journalists.
Abusive lawsuits (SLAPPs). Targeted by 16 ongoing lawsuits, the investigative online outlet KRIK is the Serbian independent media with the highest number of SLAPPs, according to its own analysis. Several of the legal actions aimed at silencing national media – as well as local outlets with less resources for their defence in court – have been initiated by individuals or entities with government ties. At its meetings with Dejan Ristic and Suzana Vasiljevic, RSF called on them to work on anti-SLAPP legislative and non-legislative measures based on the recent recommendations of the Council of Europe and European Commission.
Russian propaganda. The reactions of the ruling majority and the pro-government media to RSF’s September 2024 investigation of the Kremlin’s propaganda factory in Belgrade, RT Balkan, showed what the Russian outlets and their Serbian media and political amplifiers know best: spreading disinformation. RSF was falsely accused of being an “intelligence branch” and “a tool of the West”. Government officials were spreading fake news about RSF having approved the 1999 deadly airstrike on the public broadcaster RTS and launched a narrative about Serbia as an “island of freedom”. Even the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commented on RSF’s investigation by saying that “all our lives we were taught that there must be another side, that you have to hear everything, and today everything is so partisan, if you listen to both sides, you are an enemy of both sides”. While in Belgrade, RSF asked the authorities to enforce the Serbian law – which RT Balkan is violating by lack of transparency – if it refuses to apply the EU sanctions on Russia’s propaganda outlets.
Reacting to RSF’s investigation in early October, the European Commission reminded Serbia that “as a candidate country for EU membership, [it] must […] take urgent measures to combat the manipulation and interference of foreign information”. In its annual report on Serbia published on 30 October, the European Commission called on Serbia to take action for the safety of journalists and against SLAPPs. The country made “no progress” on freedom of expression in the previous year, according to the report.
Srbija, slaba karika Evrope: RSF poziva vladu u Beogradu da radi za slobodu medija i protiv propagande
Nedavno su napadnute najmanje četiri novinarske ekipe koje su izveštavale o antivladinim protestima u Srbiji. Na ranijim sastancima u Beogradu, Reporteri bez granica (RSF) su od ministra za informisanje i medijskog savetnika predsednika tražili mere protiv nekažnjivosti zločina počinjenih protiv novinara, zloupotrebe tužbi usmerenih na novinare, kao i protiv ruske dezinformacije.
Napadi na srpske medije koji izveštavaju o antivladinim protestima nakon smrtonosne nesreće na železničkoj stanici u Novom Sadu ponovo su ukazali na opasnosti s kojima se suočavaju novinari koji izveštavaju u javnom interesu. Petog novembra, nasilni pojedinci su uništili kameru nezavisnog kanala N1, oborili snimatelja Euronewsa, dok su novinari lokalnog radija 021 napadnuti farbom i plastičnim flašama. Nakon protesta u Beogradu iste večeri zbog uklanjanja mosta, ekstremni desničarski političar je napao i pretnjama smrću zlostavljao snimatelja novinske agencije FoNet.
Ovi incidenti dodaju se dugoj istoriji nesankcionisanog nasilja, uključujući nerazrešeno ubistvo Slavka Ćuruvije 1999. godine. Kao što je pokazano tužbama za klevetu koje su bivši optuženi za njegovo ubistvo podneli protiv Fondacije Slavko Ćuruvija zbog nezadovoljstva zbog njihove oslobađajuće sudske presude u februaru 2024. godine, nedostatak pravde pogoršava rizike za novinare.
U Srbiji, koja se nalazi na 98. mestu od 180 zemalja – drugo od poslednjeg u Evropskoj uniji (EU) i Balkanskoj zoni – prema Indeksu slobode medija RSF za 2024. godinu, pristup građana pouzdanim informacijama dodatno je potkopan ruskom propagandom i zloupotrebom tužbi (SLAPP) usmerenih protiv medija. RSF je o tim pitanjima razgovarao tokom svoje misije u Beogradu od 31. oktobra do 4. novembra sa predstavnicima novinara, međunarodne zajednice i vlade – ministrom informisanja Dejanom Ristićem i medijskom savetnicom predsednika Srbije, Suzanom Vasiljević.
„Pravo na propagandu zamenjuje pravo na informacije. Počinioci napada na novinare prikazuju se kao žrtve. Neprijatelji slobode medija umesto slobode medija. Srbija je informativna slaba tačka Evrope. Na mojim sastancima sa vlastima u Beogradu, pozvao sam ih da preduzmu mere protiv ruske propagande, zloupotrebe tužbi i nekažnjivosti zločina počinjenih protiv novinara. Obratio sam se i međunarodnoj zajednici u Srbiji i zatražio podršku za takve akcije.“
Pavol Szalai, šef EU-Balkanske kancelarije RSF
Kao što je RSF istakao na forumu Brave New Media, koji je organizovala Deutsche Welle Akademie 2. novembra, na Međunarodni dan borbe protiv nekažnjivosti za zločine počinjene protiv novinara, hitna akcija srpskih vlasti potrebna je u tri ključne oblasti:
Napadi na novinare i nedostatak pravde. Pored emblematičnog slučaja Slavka Ćuruvije i drugih ubistava novinara, pravda nije zadovoljena ni u novijim slučajevima, kao što su pretnje smrću novinarima iz Novog Sada Ani Lalić i Dinku Gruhonjiću u martu 2024. godine. Osoba koja je osumnjičena za ove pretnje – a koje su usledile nakon ponovljenih klevetničkih izjava lidera parlamentarne većine – pobegla je iz Srbije dok je bila u pritvoru. Tokom svoje misije u Beogradu, RSF je izrazio zabrinutost zbog političkih napada na novinare i zatražio od vlade da stvori uslove za pravosudni sistem da brzo odgovori za zločine počinjene protiv novinara.
Zloupotreba tužbi (SLAPPs). Istraživački portal KRIK je najviše pogođen SLAPP tužbama u Srbiji, sa 16 aktivnih postupaka protiv njih. Nekoliko pravnih akcija usmerenih na utišavanje nacionalnih medija – kao i lokalnih medija koji imaju manje resursa za odbranu na sudu – pokrenuli su pojedinci ili entiteti povezani sa vlašću. Na sastancima sa Dejanom Ristićem i Suzanom Vasiljević, RSF je pozvao vlasti da rade na zakonodavnim i nezakonodavnim merama protiv SLAPP-a, u skladu sa nedavnim preporukama Saveta Evrope i Evropske komisije.
Ruska propaganda. Reakcije vladajuće većine i provladinih medija na istraživanje RSF iz septembra 2024. godine o „propagandnoj fabrici“ Kremlja u Beogradu, RT Balkan, pokazale su šta najbolje rade ruski mediji i njihovi srpski politički amplifikatori: šire dezinformacije. RSF je lažno optužen da je „obaveštajna služba“ i „alat Zapada“. Vladini zvaničnici su širili lažne vesti da je RSF odobrio smrtonosni napad na RTS 1999. godine i lansirali narativ o Srbiji kao „ostrvu slobode“. Čak je i predsednik Srbije Aleksandar Vučić komentarisao istraživanje RSF-a rekavši da „celog života su nas učili da mora da postoji druga strana, da moraš da čuješ sve, a danas je sve toliko podeljeno da ako slušaš obe strane, ti si neprijatelj obe strane“. Tokom boravka u Beogradu, RSF je pozvao vlasti da sprovedu srpski zakon koji RT Balkan krši zbog nedostatka transparentnosti, ako ne žele da primene sankcije EU na ruske propagandne kanale.
Reagujući na istraživanje RSF-a početkom oktobra, Evropska komisija je podsetila Srbiju da „kao zemlja kandidat za članstvo u EU, mora… preduzeti hitne mere u borbi protiv manipulacije i mešanja stranih informacija“. U svom godišnjem izveštaju o Srbiji, objavljenom 30. oktobra, Evropska komisija je pozvala Srbiju da deluje na zaštiti novinara i protiv SLAPP tužbi. Zemlja nije ostvarila „progres“ u oblasti slobode izražavanja u prethodnoj godini, navodi se u izveštaju.
