N1 appeals to Serbian authorities over escalating campaign of threats and intimidation

N1 confirmed that, despite formally sending letters to Prime Minister Djuro Macut, the Minister of Information and Telecommunications, and the Minister of Culture, no response has been received.

The letter, signed by N1’s Director Igor Bozic, states:

“We are addressing you as representatives of the executive government of the Republic of Serbia, who bear direct responsibility under the Constitution and laws for upholding media freedom, protecting journalists, and defending fundamental democratic values.

We urge you to take immediate action to stop the serious and systemic campaign of targeting, threats, and intimidation that has for months been waged against N1 and its employees, and that in recent days has dangerously escalated. This campaign involves the highest state officials, including the President of the Republic, with backing from pro-regime tabloids and state-funded media. As a result, N1’s newsroom receives daily messages of hate and death threats.

Your silence and inaction have contributed to this escalation. In a country with a tragic history of unresolved attacks on journalists, you remain silent. You were silent when independent media were branded 'terrorists', when tabloids called for criminal prosecution of journalists without any legal grounds, and when even prosecutors participated in public smear campaigns. You continue to remain silent even as journalists are threatened with hanging in Belgrade’s central Terazije square and subjected to comparisons with the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attack.

You have political, legal, and moral duties. You are obliged to ensure an environment where citizens have:

• the right to information,
• the right to hear diverse opinions,
• and the freedom to choose their media.

As top government officials, you are responsible for protecting a free, pluralistic, and competitive media landscape. Freedom of expression and media freedom are the foundations of any democratic and lawful state.

This is no longer merely a question of media freedom, it is a matter of public safety. The campaign against N1 is a state-tolerated, if not state-driven, strategy of intimidation.

We interpret your silence and lack of response as approval. With that, you send a clear message: in today’s Serbia, media workers who are not aligned with the government are fair game.

Therefore, we demand:

• A public condemnation of all threats and attacks on N1 and its journalists,
• Immediate and effective action by competent institutions in all reported cases,
• An end to public targeting of journalists through state institutions.

N1 will not abandon its journalistic mission. We will not stay silent. And let it be clear: if any of our colleagues are harmed or attacked, your responsibility will be clear, direct, and undeniable.”

N1 has also sent an official letter to relevant institutions of the European Union and international organizations dedicated to press freedom and journalist protection. The broadcaster highlighted what it described as a “dramatic escalation” of threats and state-led intimidation against its newsroom in Serbia.

In response to N1’s inquiry regarding the letter, European Commission spokesperson Paola Pino confirmed that the EU expects Serbia to fully respect media freedom.

Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier added that “media freedom is one of the essential pillars of a democratic society and a fundamental right in the EU,” underscoring that it remains a key requirement in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations, specifically under Chapter 23. He warned that the state has an obligation to ensure a safe environment for journalists to work.