Media and women face increased pressure in Serbian election campaigns

During recent election campaigns in Serbia, journalists and women have faced significant levels of harassment and systemic pressure. Reports indicate that the ruling administration utilizes a combination of media control, the establishment of loyalist outlets, and the use of bot armies to drown out independent voices and social media accounts. Approximately 90% of the roughly 2,350 registered informative media in Serbia are characterized as pro-government, often using propaganda to discredit political opponents and independent journalists.

There has been a notable rise in threats against journalists, paired with a decline in legal accountability. While over one-third of reported cases resulted in legal consequences in 2019, only about 4% of recent cases have led to punishment. Furthermore, in over 60% of recent attacks on journalists, police failed to provide investigative information to prosecutors.

Women in politics have also been targeted through gender-based attacks, including sexist comments, insults regarding appearance, and threats facilitated by artificial intelligence. While some politicians use the rhetoric of protecting women to mobilize voters, activists report that female politicians and activists face physical attacks, online abuse, and harassment aimed at their marital status and personal lives.