5 December 2025, GENEVA – Attacks against journalists and independent media outlets in Serbia have spiralled in the past year, UN experts* warned today, calling on the Government to end impunity for perpetrators of these crimes.
“We condemn the ongoing threats and attacks on journalists in Serbia that seem to take place within a broader, seemingly state-sponsored narrative against independent media, including N1 and other outlets of the United Media Group,” the experts said.
High ranking government officials have made threatening and other disparaging remarks against independent journalists in the country, calling them frauds and referring to their work as terrorism.
“This rhetoric by public officials is dangerous. It may be taken as tacit consent for attacks on journalists and leaves the door wide open for future threats and attacks,” they said.
Independent journalists now face almost daily threats, including of death, and feel unsafe reporting in public spaces. Journalists covering protests and rallies have been verbally and physically attacked. Police often do not intervene nor apprehend perpetrators, and have stopped journalists from reporting, even when wearing clearly marked press jackets.
“The rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, including the right to information for all, are even more critical during times of crisis. Serbia must stop these threats on independent media and ensure accountability for attacks on journalists,” the experts said. “Impunity for perpetrators perpetuates these attacks.”
“Independent media is not an enemy of States, but rather a critical element of functioning democracies.”
The experts are in touch with the Government of Serbia on this matter.
*The experts:
- Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/.
UN Human Rights, country page – Serbia.
For inquiries and media requests, please contact: Allison Thomas-McPhee (allison.thomas-mcphee@un.org).
For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org).
Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on X: @UN_SPExperts.
Photo Credit: N1, used under fair use for public commentary.