Serbia media freedom faces pressure amid regulatory failures and police intervention

Media freedom in Serbia is facing significant challenges during the election campaign, marked by regulatory failures and physical repression of journalists.

Four members of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) Council have alerted international officials, including EU representatives, to the body's inability to fulfill legal duties. They reported that the Council failed to reach decisions on multiple complaints against Informer TV within the legally mandated 72-hour window. The members noted that the Council's pro-government members have hindered the processing of reports regarding potential violations of media laws.

In a separate incident, the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemned the police for using force to prevent a KTV news crew from reporting on a Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) rally in Zrenjanin. Reports indicate that police in civilian clothes and intervention units used physical force and shields to restrict the journalists' movement and access to the event.

Additionally, the Bureau for Social Research (BIRODI) criticized REM Council President Stevica Smederevac for suggesting that a high volume of citizen complaints against Informer TV threatens to paralyze the institution. BIRODI argued that the responsibility for the workload lies with the regulator's failure to prepare for the election period and its inability to address media law violations promptly.