The SafeJournalists Network states that last night’s incidents in Vrbas, Bački Petrovac, Novi Pazar, and Belgrade demonstrated that the police are unable to ensure the unhindered work of journalists reporting from protests and public events.
During a citizens’ protest on August 12 in Vrbas, supporters of the Serbian Progressive Party launched an organized attack, throwing bottles, stones, and pyrotechnics at gathered citizens, among whom were journalistic crews covering the event. Editor of the “Mašina” portal, Marko Miletić, and N1 cameraman assistant Andrej Stamenković were injured in the attack. At no point did police officers intervene to stop the violence.
Marko Miletić was hit multiple times with stones, frozen bottles, and fireworks, while Andrej Stamenković was struck twice with stones—once in the shoulder and once in the abdomen. Fortunately, both sustained only minor injuries.
In a live broadcast on Mašina’s social media channels, Miletić can be seen addressing the police after the attack, asking when they planned to intervene and stop the attackers from throwing fireworks. The officers simply turned away, and when the journalist pointed out he had been hit, they failed to respond. The Mašina portal has been under direct attack due to its coverage of events, including a serious threat received via Instagram on August 10.
During an attempt to block the entrance to the courthouse in Novi Pazar, ona August 12, clashes occurred between demonstrators and police. While reporting, journalist Nusreta Brunčević witnessed an incident in which a police officer—without a visible name tag—made inappropriate comments to female students in the front rows. When the journalist asked the officer to identify himself, he initially refused, then gave only a first name. At one point, the officer directly addressed the journalist, saying she was “irrelevant” and adding, “we’ll see each other,” confirming the comment with a smirk and mocking tone when asked if he had really said it. After the journalist reported the incident to the commanding officer, the policeman was removed from the scene.
The SafeJournalists Network demands that the police start doing their job by taking measures in accordance with the law and ensuring the protection of journalists while they are reporting. We highlight the concerning trend of attacks, threats, and intimidation against journalists and media workers by the police— a trend that continued just the day before. Such behavior must stop, and journalists and media professionals must be allowed to do their work without interference. These attacks and threats not only endanger their physical safety but also directly undermine media freedom.
The Network calls on the competent institutions to prosecute every case of violence against journalists. We urge the Ministry of Internal Affairs to initiate proceedings against police officers who threaten and intimidate media representatives. Journalists working in the public interest must not be targets of violence—they must receive full protection from the state and support from all relevant institutions.
The SafeJournalists Network will inform national and international stakeholders about this incident and will continue to monitor the situation.
Every attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, the public interest, and fundamental human rights.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica, August 13, 2025
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
The source: IJAS
Photo by: Canva
