The UN human rights chief specified on Thursday that is Serbia opposite Concerns are growing about a steady erosion of civic space, and there are increasing signs that pressures on journalists, civil society and political dissent are becoming more systematic and difficult to ignore.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on Serbian officials to “ensure the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and uphold media freedom.”
Journalists reporting People engaging with government activities and protests in Serbia are facing increasing levels of intimidation, including threats, physical attacks, surveillance allegations and strategic lawsuits aimed at draining resources. Independent monitoring groups recorded a sharp increase in violence against media workers, accompanied by smear campaigns in pro-government media and increasing impunity for perpetrators. Many incidents occur at politically sensitive moments such as elections or large demonstrations.
There will also be tensions in early 2025 and into 2026 escalated during recurring anti-government protests led largely by students and civil society groups, particularly after the collapse of the Novi Sad train station, which sparked mass demonstrations against corruption.
A recent report classified Serbia as a “repressed“Civic space, indicating severe restrictions on protest, media freedom and civil society activities. Protest movements, including large-scale anti-corruption demonstrations following public tragedies, have reportedly been met with mass arrests, allegations of police violence and legal pressure on activists. Civil society organizations also describe increasing surveillance and politically motivated prosecutions.
International observers have repeated highlighted problems such as unequal media access, pressure on opposition actors and weak oversight mechanisms, and raised questions about the fairness of political competition. At the same time, delays in implementing reforms and inconsistent enforcement of human rights protections continue to undermine public trust in institutions.
