Serbian media watchdogs report sharp rise in threats and pressure

Media watchdogs in Serbia reported a sharp increase in press freedom violations during July. The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia documented 19 safety incidents, including two physical assaults and 14 death threats. Concurrently, the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation recorded at least 106 verbal attacks against media outlets by government officials and ruling party members.

In Belgrade, prosecutors launched an investigation after film director Stevan Filipović was assaulted while photographing individuals damaging a protected historic building. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić condemned the violence and urged authorities to prosecute the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the Journalists' Association of Serbia protested after several Serbian-language outlets were excluded from a parliamentary session in Pristina despite completing accreditation. Additionally, media groups highlighted new European Union transparency rules designed to flag artificial intelligence-generated content.

Sources: Beta, CDM, Danas, N1, Tanjug.