“We are gathering in solidarity to stand against the persecution of journalists in Serbia,” announced the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), ahead of a rally scheduled for Friday, June 20, at 12:00 p.m. at the UNS Press Center in Belgrade.
The gathering is organized as a show of support against growing pressure and persecution targeting journalists in the country, the two associations said in a joint statement, citing a series of recent cases as examples.
They point to the dismissal of well-known TV host Marija Šehić from Euronews Serbia, officially due to „negligent or careless performance of work duties“ and „violations of work discipline.“ The associations claim her dismissal followed the demotion and subsequent voluntary departure of other journalists unwilling to work under newly imposed editorial conditions.
Another case involved veteran journalist Vojislava Crnjanski Spasojević, who was declared „redundant“ at Večernje novosti. She had publicly opposed the publication of personal student data on the paper’s website.
The associations also highlighted that Politika laid off two senior editors—Dorotea Čarnić, editor of the Chronicle section, and Sandra Gucijan, weekend edition editor—despite their decades-long tenure. The move followed their public comments on student protests shared on their private social media accounts.
Additionally, Tara Đukić, editor of the Serbian edition of Elle magazine’s online platform, was dismissed after reportedly objecting to the removal of an article about students. The publisher, Mondo Inc, claimed the decision was based on unmet performance metrics and a decline in business indicators in her department.
NUNS and UNS say the protest is being held to express deep concern over what they describe as intensifying pressure on journalists and violations of the Law on Public Information and Media, which guarantees that journalists cannot be dismissed or penalized for expressing personal views.
“We are rising against blatant pressure on journalists who are doing their job professionally, against media misuse, and against the violation of the legal rights of journalists to freely express their opinion,” the statement concludes.
The “Stop the Persecution of Journalists” rally will feature speeches from dismissed journalists, representatives of media associations and trade unions, and legal experts. It will take place at the UNS Press Center, Knez Mihailova 6/3, starting at noon.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
