EU calls on Serbia to guarantee freedom of expression and media

2025-01-21 20:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU calls on Serbia to guarantee freedom of expression and media

The flags of the European Union and Serbia at the Serbian Government building in Belgrade

The European Union (EU) has urged authorities in Serbia to guarantee the unhindered work of journalists and investigate cases of misuse of their personal data.

Serbia's pro-government media published personal data of journalists, including from Croatia, days ago, who have also been accused of being "foreign agents who have come to Serbia to incite protests and attack the constitutional order."

"Media freedom is a key cornerstone in a democratic society and a fundamental right in the EU. It is therefore also a key element in the process of Serbia's integration into the EU. It is essential that journalists are able to carry out their work in an environment free from threats or violence, intimidation or mistreatment in order to ensure citizens' access to all information," the EU's response states.

A few days ago, Vojislav Seselj, convicted of war crimes by the Hague Tribunal, published the identification documents of several people, including a journalist from Croatia, on a television show in Serbia, saying that they are "spies of Croatia."

Journalist Matej Dev?i? himself, from the Telegram portal - who has since returned to Croatia - has expressed surprise at this, saying he does not know how his data could have fallen into Sešelj's hands. He suspects that "only state services could have done this, since the only place where that document was scanned was at the border crossing by the Serbian Police."

Thousands of protesters, mostly students, have been protesting in Serbia for a long time after the collapse of a shelter at the Novi Sad Railway Station last November, which killed 15 people.

Among the protesters' demands are the dropping of charges against those arrested and detained during the protests, as well as the prosecution of those responsible for the tragedy in Novi Sad and of those who beat students and professors during the protests.

Dev?i? was in Serbia on a job covering student protests. Šešelj mentioned his name on TV as someone who "trains protest leaders in Serbia."

The EU stressed that it is closely following the protests and that Serbia - as a country aiming for membership in the bloc - must respect citizens' right to free expression.

The European bloc also expressed concern about several cases of violence against protesters and called on authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

In addition to journalists, some pro-government media in Serbia have also published the personal data of some students whom they consider to be "protest organizers" and accuse them of "working for the Croatian secret service."

The EU said that any unlawful access to the personal data of citizens, including journalists, and the publication of such data are unacceptable and must be pursued by competent national authorities./REL