November 4, 2024
Today, four organizations—the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), and CRTA—filed a criminal complaint against Nevena Đurić, Chair of the Parliamentary Culture and Information Committee. The complaint accuses Đurić of failing to fulfill her duty to initiate the selection process for new members of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) within the legal deadlines, which meant failing to implement the Law on Electronic Media (LEM).
According to the law, which took effect on November 4, 2023, the mandate of the current REM Council members ends today. The process to select new members should have started by August 4, at the latest. Due to this failure to implement LEM, Serbia now has no functioning authority to make decisions, oversee, or enforce laws in electronic media.
In recent days, as in previous years, there have been no consequences for clear violations of the Law on Electronic Media, the Serbian Journalists’ Code, and professional journalism standards on national and cable TV channels. REM’s long-standing deliberate choice to ignore media law violations, while prioritizing the interests of the ruling party and allied media moguls over the public interest, led to the decision to replace the entire Council. By neglecting to follow this legal requirement, Committee Chair Nevena Đurić has effectively dismantled the institution of the media regulator, i.e., the REM, as the authority responsible for overseeing electronic media in Serbia.
“Through her failure to perform her official duty, that is, by neglecting to initiate the legal procedure for electing new REM Council members, the Committee Chair has gravely violated the imperative provisions of Law on Electronic Media, thereby abusing the entire state apparatus to allow individuals from the current REM Council to gain financial and non-financial benefits to which they are not entitled, as their mandate legally expires on November 4, 2024. In this way, Nevena Đurić has caused harm to others, seriously infringed upon the rights, and compromised the public interest in the Republic of Serbia,” states the criminal complaint.
We call on the competent prosecution to promptly initiate criminal proceedings and thereby protect the integrity of the parliament and the legal system of the Republic of Serbia.
Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)
CRTA – Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability
