The political movement Srbija Centar (SRCE) has strongly condemned the latest statements made by Minister of Information and Telecommunications Boris Bratina, describing them as a continuation of the regime’s campaign against media outlets it cannot control.
In its official statement, SRCE said it was “no coincidence” that Bratina’s remarks came “at a time when independent outlets are fighting for their very survival.”
“The Minister never spoke out about the ‘Informer poisoning affair’ or the criminal responsibility of Dragan J. Vučićević for publishing revenge pornography, even though the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications was obliged to act ex officio under the Law on Public Information and the Media and the Law on Electronic Media,” the party said.
“He has also remained silent about the daily spread of lies and political targeting of the regime’s opponents on national television and several cable channels that are funded by Serbian taxpayers.”
Earlier today, Minister Bratina declared that foreign-based broadcasters such as N1 and Nova should not be allowed to operate in Serbia, describing them as “branches of foreign agencies.”
“Cross-border collaborations are protected by various regulations, and they are hidden so that legally nothing can be done against them. That’s why we are calling for new legal changes, because these outlets should not exist in our broadcast space,” Bratina said in an interview for Pink TV, a pro-government channel.
He further claimed that Radio Free Europe (RSE) should also be “removed”, arguing that it promotes “a pre-prepared narrative from the Yugoslav wars that continues to this day.”
SRCE concluded that such statements show the authoritarian tendencies of Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, which is systematically targeting independent journalism, while protecting propaganda networks loyal to the government.
