Serbia: Women Press Freedom Concerned Over Escalating Threats and Intimidation

Women Press Freedom documents alarming increase in attacks on press, from five violations in the first couple of months of 2024, compared to nine overall last year

Location: Serbia, Novi Sad

Date: March 9, 2024

Women Press Freedom has been closely monitoring an escalating trend of violations in Serbia, where journalists are increasingly facing a barrage of insults, threats, and intimidation tactics. Journalists Ana Lalić and Ksenija Pavkov have recently been sent death threats for their work. Lalić’s family members have also been threatened. The lack of response from institutions to this harassment heightens our concerns. This could embolden perpetrators and lead to further aggression, including physical violence against journalists. We demand action from competent authorities in Serbia and an immediate end to harmful rhetoric against the press frequently espoused by politicians and pro-government tabloids.

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At a forum held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on March 9, 2024, Ana Lalić, President of the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina (NDNV), shared the death threats she had received on social media. The threats, laden with vulgarities and chauvinistic insults, included horrifying statements such as "slaughtering her in Novi Sad" — likely referring to the Novi Sad massacre by Hungarian forces during World War II, which killed around 4,000 people.

Lalic has been subjected to a relentless campaign of insults and threats, including messages suggesting violence against her and her family, in response to her public stance on the construction of a church in Novi Sad's Liman settlement. Throughout her career, the Novi Sad-based journalist has faced public vilification from both state-aligned tabloids and social media trolls alongside detention for her Covid reporting in 2020.

Addressing the audience at the "Foreign Mercenary and Domestic Traitor" forum, Lalić clarified that her intention in sharing the threats sent to her was to shed light on the immense pressure and threats faced by journalists and those who advocate for free thinking in Serbia.

A series of threats and insults were also sent to the journalist of the N1 television station Ksenija Pavkov from Novi Sad online for reporting on the protest in front of the Center for Social Work in Novi Sad.

Balkan media freedom group, Safe Journalists, has called for action following a rise in incidents of threats and harassment of journalists in Serbia. Since the start of 2024, Women Press Freedom has documented five violations against women journalists in the country.  For 2023, our organization reported a total of nine violations in the entire year. This shows an alarming increase in attacks on the press.

Attacks on Journalists in Serbia

The deteriorating state of press freedom in Serbia is marked by a pattern of attacks, smear campaigns, and physical assaults against journalists, particularly those working in non-state-aligned media. Women Press Freedom and other international press freedom organizations have consistently raised concerns about the hostile environment for independent journalism in the country.

Inadequate safety conditions, a weakened rule of law, media capture, and an atmosphere of hostility towards critical reporting compound the challenges faced by journalists in Serbia. Political leaders, including President Aleksandar Vučić and ruling party MPs, have been implicated in creating a climate of verbal pressure and direct attacks on journalists.

Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the alarming wave of threats and harassment directed at journalists within Serbia, particularly the cases of Ana Lalić and Ksenija Pavkov. The proliferation of death threats and intimidation not only against the journalists but also their families are deeply concerning and demand urgent attention from authorities. Serbian police must take swift and decisive measures to investigate these incidents and ensure the safety of journalists. Such attacks on the press tarnish Serbia's candidacy for European Union membership; we urge EU bodies involved in Serbia's accession process to exert their influence in halting these egregious assaults on press freedom.

Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.