UN rights chief Volker Turk said Thursday he was deeply worried by curbs on the media in Serbia and recent local elections which were reportedly marred by violence and intimidation.
Serbia ranked 96th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders’ 2025 World Press Freedom Index — second to last in the EU-Balkans region.
‘Increasing restrictions on civic space in Serbia, marked by continuing attacks against critical voices, restrictions on media freedom and broader constraints on democratic expression, are very worrying,’ Turk said in a statement.
‘The continued targeting of journalists and the growing pressure on independent media outlets also point to a broader deterioration of the media environment.’
Serbian television channel N1’s management removed editor-in-chief Igor Bozic. N1 is widely seen as opposing president Aleksandar Vucic, a nationalist who has frequently criticised it.
Since nationwide protests in late 2024 over a train station disaster, N1 has given prominent coverage to demonstrations and student-led initiatives, making it a target for government supporters and pro-government media.
‘Reports of growing violence, voter intimidation and procedural irregularities, including police raids on opposition premises during recent local elections, raise serious questions about the integrity and climate of the electoral process,’ Turk added.
The March 29 elections were marred by accusations of violence from both supporters of the governing party and the student-led opposition.
Council of Europe election observers said they witnessed violence outside polling stations and ‘highly worrying’ irregularities.
The student movement said some of their observers were threatened and in one incident attacked with pepper spray by ‘thugs’ as they tried to expose suspicious behaviour at polling stations.
Vucic’s SNS party accused students of harrassment and police said four people were arrested over an alleged assault of an SNS member.
‘I call on the authorities to ensure the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and to uphold media freedom,’ said Turk.
‘Concrete steps need to be taken to restore public trust in institutions and the rule of law by ensuring transparent, timely and impartial investigations into alleged violations of human rights, and accountability for any wrongdoing.’
