Major Journalists’ Associations Condemn the Removal of Their Colleagues from Vucic’s Rally in Kraljevo

Cameramen(Beta/Armenija Zajmi Besevic)

Major journalists’ associations in Serbia on Aug. 25 condemned the incident in Kraljevo, when two journalists were prevented from reporting from a public gathering during Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to the city in central Serbia. 

The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) has said that Jovana Ristic, a female reporter of portal Glas Sumadije, and Nenad Simovic, the editor of portal LiKVidno, were duly accredited for the event in the Kraljevo neighborhood of Ribnica, passed a police check and then “another screening performed by individuals in plain clothes and with no visible identification.”

“While they were filming a report in the area designated for the gathering, an unidentified person grabbed the lens of Nenad Simovic’s camera and demanded they stop filming. Shortly, they were approached by several other men in black T-shirts, who were pushing them, holding onto the camera and forced them out of the event,” IJAS said in a release. 

The reporters, according to the release, repeatedly showed their press credentials and event accreditations, but “due to the immediate pressure and fear for their safety, they were forced to leave the gathering and move away to safety.” 

The Journalists’ Association of Serbia (JAS) described the discrimination against Simovic and Ristic as unacceptable, requesting from the relevant bodies to seriously take the case and to find and punish the persons who forcibly prevented the journalists from performing their job. 

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has requested from the departments of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Interior Ministry in Kraljevo to respond immediately, identify the perpetrators and initiate criminal proceedings for endangering safety and violent behavior. ANEM also called on Vucic to publicly condemn such treatment of media representatives.