United Media has warned both European and domestic audiences that Serbia recorded a historic high in attacks on journalists working for independent media during 2025, while authorities persistently refuse to respond or hold perpetrators accountable.
“Instead of protection, we witness systemic inaction that not only fails to stop violence but actively encourages it,” said United Media in an official statement.
Alarming Statistics
According to official figures from the Serbian Prosecutor’s Office, by the end of November 2025, attacks on journalists had risen 113% compared to the same period last year. Nearly half of all reported attacks and threats targeted journalists and newsrooms from N1, Nova, Radar, and Danas, indicating a systematic targeting of independent media.
Despite the scale and severity, no cases have been solved and no one has been prosecuted. United Media highlighted that government inaction, and in some cases direct actions by officials, create an environment where threats and attacks have become normalized.
Responsibility of Vučić’s Regime
United Media explicitly criticized President Aleksandar Vučić and his government, stating that attacks on journalists are often emboldened by the highest levels of power. Some threats followed public statements by Vučić that were widely perceived as intimidating and humiliating for independent journalists, effectively giving a “green light” for violence.
“This is not only negligence; it is a systemic failure and deliberate climate of intimidation, where journalists are punished for reporting freely,” said Aleksandra Subotić, Executive Director of United Media.
Calls for Action
United Media called for immediate action by authorities to:
- Identify and prosecute those behind death threats to Radar staff and cartoonist Dušan Petričić.
- Investigate phone threats against journalist Vuk Cvijić.
- Bring to justice those responsible for the physical assault on N1 reporters outside Ćacilend, during which their equipment was damaged.
- Hold accountable individuals who threatened N1 journalist Mladen Savatović, following intimidating statements from Vučić.
Context and Broader Concerns
In 2025, over 50 threats and attacks were recorded against United Media journalists. Some incidents involved police officers, even when journalists displayed clear press credentials, while other attacks occurred in the presence of police who failed to intervene.
European institutions have acknowledged the dramatic deterioration of journalist safety in Serbia, noting a fourfold increase in attacks compared to the previous year, representing the highest rate in Europe.
United Media stressed that responsibility for protecting journalists lies in Belgrade, and that Vučić’s administration must be held accountable. Authorities must prosecute all attacks without exception, or Serbia risks remaining a country where journalists are unprotected and media violence goes unpunished.
