“Adria News,” located in Luxembourg and the provider of N1 media service in Serbia, stated today that the establishment of “an atmosphere of lynching and unpunished targeting of journalists” exemplifies a “classic characteristic of dictatorial regimes,” posing a direct security threat to N1 journalists.

The media outlet emphasized in a statement that institutional actors who have remained silent or have taken part in this campaign will bear full responsibility if any of their colleagues face physical harm.

The statement condemns the “frequent and orchestrated attacks on journalists and editors with whom it collaborates,” noting that the situation has been worsening for years according to all pertinent international assessments of media freedoms.

N1 points out that “another line was recently crossed” when Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić publicly categorized certain media outlets as “terrorist.”

“Following a multi-day propaganda campaign, the pro-regime tabloid Informer has started a new chapter in the pressure on independent media in the Republic of Serbia, explicitly calling for the criminal prosecution of N1 journalists and editors for purported ‘public support for the overthrow of the constitutional order.’ This is a severe manipulation and a baseless accusation lacking any legal or factual grounding… Regime tabloids, politicians, and even high-ranking judicial figures are consciously inciting tensions and riling the public against the media whose sole ‘offense’ is their commitment to professionally informing citizens,” the statement published on the N1 website reads.

N1 recalls that unauthorized interference with media operations, particularly by officials, misuse of official positions, negligent public service, and violations of the law by a judge or public prosecutor are not only prohibited but also provide grounds for criminal liability for individuals who engage in such conduct.

“While everyone has the right to critique or disagree with editorial policy, the misuse of state coercion or legal frameworks to sway media positions and obstruct the free flow of information represents a boundary that must not be crossed. All of Europe is observing, and crossing such a line would not lack for consequences,” the statement further noted.

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