Safety of Journalists

Following a four-day visit to Serbia (18-21 May 2026), Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty issued an end-of-visit statement concluding that the human rights situation has worsened since his previous visit in April 2025. He documented increasing violence against journalists and civil society, a climate of impunity for police malpractice, and the absence of investigations into the alleged sonic weapon attack of 15 March 2025. The Commissioner called on Serbian authorities to implement Venice Commission recommendations on prosecutorial autonomy and to ensure the upcoming 23 May demonstrations are policed in line with human rights obligations. Three meetings with government ministers were cancelled by the Serbian side.

The Second Basic Court in Belgrade ruled that a public statement issued by the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation - responding to the Court of Appeal's 2024 acquittal of former State Security Service officers Miroslav Kurak, Ratko Romić, and Milan Radonjić for the 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija - violated the plaintiffs' honour and reputation. The court ordered the Foundation to pay 200,000 dinars in damages to each of the three plaintiffs, plus 435,000 dinars in legal costs, totalling approximately 8,800 euros. The court disregarded the Foundation's argument that the Supreme Court had subsequently found the acquittal to have been rendered with serious procedural violations. The Foundation announced it will appeal.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media issued a statement noting that Serbia's Supreme Court identified serious procedural violations in the 2024 acquittal of four defendants accused of killing journalist Slavko Ćuruvija - but that the acquittals were not overturned, leaving the case unresolved after nearly three decades.