July 15, 2024
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Zubaida Khan, has stated in a report that the Serbian Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) only used its powers against media outlets that are critical of the government.
On the other hand, the Regulator “failed to exercise its authority under the law to restrict smear campaigns and harassment by tabloid media and penalise outlets that are openly engaged in producing and disseminating harmful speech,” states the report.
The Special Rapporteur also considers that “failure to uphold media pluralism, refusing to sanction harmful speech by certain media outlets, working proactively against outlets critical of the Government and the ruling party, and engaging in open conflict with them, raise serious doubts about the independence and impartiality of the REM and, more broadly, about its ability to promote and protect media freedom, diversity and pluralism, in line with democratic principles and the international obligations, national laws and policies of Serbia,” notes the report.
The report accuses populist or tabloid media outlets of being “major producers and amplifiers of false narratives and hate speech in Serbia”, adding that “despite its mandate and the legal means at its disposal, the REM has consistently failed to act promptly and effectively to stop the spread of harmful speech”.
The Special Rapporteur also expressed alarm over two reports of the International Election Observation Mission of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights regarding REM’s work during the parliamentary elections of 2022 and 2023.
