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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Prime Minister meets with Working Group for Security and Protection of Journalists

Belgrade, 26 March 2021

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Maja Gojkovic held a regular monthly meeting with members of the Working Group for Security and Protection of Journalists.

The officials discussed the activities carried out so far by this working group, which are important for improving the protection and safety of journalists, as well as the further work of this body, which some media and journalist associations have left.

Brnabic pointed out that the Working Group made some progress in a very short time, highlighting the fact that journalists and media workers are included among the priority groups for vaccination, bearing in mind the work they do and frequent field work.

Then, as an initiative of this working group, an SOS hotline was launched, to which all journalists, who feel that their safety is endangered, can get information from on-duty lawyers with experience in this field about who they should contact in order to protect their rights.

This body is also considering the launch of a web portal that will contain all information relevant to the security and protection of journalists, and further work on the platform, i.e., the database launched by the Protector of Citizens, which should contain all cases of attacks, threats and pressure.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of the analysis that OSCE experts are working on, which should help define potential changes to the Criminal Code that will enable more comprehensive and efficient criminal-legal protection of journalists.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the Government of Serbia remains committed to the security and protection of journalists, because that is a topic that is essential for the future of our country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information Maja Gojkovic emphasised that the Working Group must not act divided and selectively because that does not contribute to the overall security of journalists in our country.

Gojkovic underlined that the relevant ministry reacted and that it will react to all cases in which the safety of journalists is endangered.

Representatives of media and journalist associations who attended the meeting, UNS, ANEM and the Union of Journalists of Serbia (SINOS), stressed that it is important to continue with the activities started, but also that it is necessary for this body to continue working in the format it started. all media and journalistic associations that have been involved in the process of drafting the Media Strategy and working groups from the beginning.

Brnabic and Gojkovic, as well as the participants in the meeting, once again call on media and journalist associations that left this working group - Media Association, Online Media Association, NUNS, NDNV and Local Press to return and continue dialogue and work on improving the overall position. journalists, because it is in the common interest of all.

The meeting was attended by partners from international organisations – the OSCE Mission to Serbia, the EU Delegation to Serbia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

In accordance with the earlier agreements of the members of the Working Group, the Prime Minister scheduled the next regular monthly meeting for 23 April, symbolically on the day when the RTS building was bombed in 1999.