The SafeJournalists Network expresses serious concern over the search and sealing of the apartment of Ljubomir Stefanović, editor and host of the YouTube channel “Slavija info”. Following today’s announcement by the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade that police are searching for him on suspicion of causing panic and disorder, we demand that the measures taken be proportionate and that institutions act transparently and fairly.

Officers from the Criminal Police Directorate’s Service for Combating High-Tech Crime forcibly entered Stefanović’s apartment on the afternoon of Saturday, 17 October, conducted a search and then sealed the door. Stefanović was not at home at the time, and following the search, his family and lawyers had no information about his whereabouts or the reasons for the police action.

The Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade announced today that police are searching for Stefanović on grounds of suspicion that he committed the criminal offence of causing panic and disorder. According to the prosecution’s statement, the search was initiated after he was not found at his registered residential address on 17 October.

The prosecution links its suspicions to a post published on the “Slavija info” account on X on 16 October: “Vučić will shoot at citizens on election day.” According to the prosecution, the post included a video featuring a digitally manipulated likeness of Miloš Medenica, claiming that a high-ranking member of Montenegro’s “Škaljari clan” would shoot at Serbian citizens following alleged election fraud and the declaration of an SNS victory.

Stefanović addressed the public today through the “Slavija info” channel, stating that he had decided not to come forward after receiving information that police forces had surrounded his home. He said that equipment had been seized during the search and expressed uncertainty about whether he could access and use his home.

He also expressed profound distrust in the work of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade and the Special Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime, announcing that he would continue working from a safe location as soon as he obtained the necessary equipment.

We recall that Stefanović was also detained in August 2025 on suspicion of document forgery in connection with a document published on X that was presented as a decision pardoning Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and members of his family. He was released after a court upheld an appeal against his detention order. His case was also covered by an investigation into the misuse of digital forensic tools: an analysis by Amnesty International indicated that Cellebrite tools had been used on his phone during an earlier detention. A criminal complaint was also filed, but the investigation has made little progress.

The SafeJournalists Network calls on the Ministry of Interior and the competent prosecutor’s offices to explain why the apartment was sealed, what equipment, if any, was seized, and why these measures were necessary. Today’s prosecution statement clarifies the reason for the police search for Stefanović but does not answer these questions. Relevant documentation and information must be made available to Stefanović and his lawyers without delay, while the public must be informed to the extent that this does not jeopardise the proceedings or the right to privacy.

All action must be lawful, reasoned and proportionate, with full respect for the right to a defence.

Intimidating journalists and media workers one week before the elections constitutes an attack on media freedom and the public’s right to be informed. Police and prosecutorial powers must not be used as a means of exerting pressure or obstructing media work.

The SafeJournalists Network will continue to monitor this case and inform relevant national and international stakeholders of further developments.

Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica – Tirana, 19 October 2026

Association of Journalists of Albania

Association of Journalists of Kosovo

Association of Journalists of Macedonia

BH Journalists Association

Croatian Journalists’ Association

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia

Trade Union of Media of Montenegro