Belgrade, Novembar 30, 2023<\/p>\n
As the elections in Serbia are approaching, violations of basic human rights and freedoms are multiplying.<\/p>\n
Journalists who are critically oriented towards different levels of government face numerous problems and challenges. Journalists at the local level are particularly exposed to pressure. Danijel Radi\u0107, the owner of Zrenjanin’s KTV, has been exposed to pressure and attacks for a long period of time by, as he claims, local criminals connected to the authorities in that city. On October 28, Radi\u0107 was also physically attacked when a group of men attacked him with axes and rods. In addition to journalists, all other citizens who dare to publicly express their views, contrary to those in power, are at constant risk of reprisals from institutions serving the system. Dragan Suboti\u0107, a pensioner from Obrenovac, was detained on November 15 in the Mirijevo neighborhood where he was at that time due to business obligations, and as the reason for the detention and search of the apartment, the police cited the pensioner’s writing on the platform X (former Twitter), which was rated as endangering the security of the President of the State, Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107.<\/p>\n
Civil society organizations are also under constant pressure, as well as potential surveillance. The SHARE Foundation established that on August 16, there were unsuccessful attempts at spying on two mobile devices of civil society representatives. Cooperation with international organizations has confirmed Apple’s warning, which states that the phones of two representatives of civil society are potential targets of state-sponsored technical attacks.<\/p>\n