July 31, 2020
Twenty-eight of the journalists, cameramen and photojournalists who reported from the week-long protests in Belgrade and other cities in Serbia were attacked or obstructed in their work either by protesters or police. A total of 14 of them were injured, with six requiring emergency medical assistance.
One protest participant who attacked a journalist of portal Nova.rs has been sentenced to a year of house arrest, while the police claim that they are also working on discovering the identities of other attackers.
The Permanent Working Group on the Safety of Journalists encouraged journalists, cameramen and photo-reporters to report any attacks, threats and obstructions of their work if they have not yet done so, in order for the police and the prosecution to be able to launch investigations and proceedings against those responsible.
Journalists in Serbia received support from Reporters Without Borders, the European Federation of Journalists and PEN. These organisations have sought that the Serbian authorities conduct detailed investigations of all attacks and threats against journalists, in order to ensure that perpetrators of violence are held accountable, including police officers and members of other state bodies.
In response to the attacks on journalists that took place during several days of citizen protests, the Association of Journalists of Serbia announced that it would request that every attack on a journalist is punished by incarceration.
