Journalists will not be silent in the face of abusers: the public has the right to know!

On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which is being observed today, November 2, the SafeJournalists network warns of a worrying regional trend: many reported and unreported incidents, few verdicts issued and a large number of cases still pending. These findings highlight a key warning — the fight against impunity is a shared responsibility of institutions, the judiciary and the entire society.

Montenegro
The SafeJournalists database has recorded 22 cases. In the period from January 1 to June 30, the police registered 14 cases. The courts have issued 4 convictions, making Montenegro stand out in terms of the number of completed proceedings. At the same time, 7 cases are before the prosecutor’s office, 2 before the courts, and the status of 2 more cases is unknown. There were also 4 cases of unfounded judicial or administrative harassment, including SLAPP lawsuits. In addition, in 3 cases, journalists were verbally attacked by high-ranking officials, without any proceedings being initiated, according to the available information.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
The SafeJournalists database recorded 30 incidents against journalists and media workers in 2025. A small number of them were reported to the competent institutions: 9 to the police and 6 to the prosecutor’s office. So far, two court outcomes have been recorded — one conviction (against an attacker of journalists) and one acquittal of a journalist. At least three cases are pending before the prosecutor’s office, and two before the courts, which indicates slow procedures and a small number of finally resolved cases.

North Macedonia
In 2025, 3 cases were recorded in the database, all reported to the Ministry of Interior. One case — the attack on the Alsat TV crew — ended with a conviction for the attackers. The remaining two are still pending: one within the Ministry of Interior and the other before the prosecutor’s office.

Croatia
In 2025, 24 cases were recorded in the SafeJournalists database, of which 12 were reported to the competent authorities. According to the Croatian Journalists’ Association, at least 3 cases are before the prosecutor’s office and 1 before the court, which indicates slow judicial proceedings and a small number of final verdicts.

Kosovo
In the period from 1 January to 31 October 2025, 63 cases were registered. For 12 of them, there is official police or prosecutorial information – 2 ended with a verdict, and 10 are pending. The remaining 51 cases were reported only to the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) and are not recorded by the competent institutions, which indicates a deep gap between the real number of incidents and the institutional response.

Albania
A total of 36 cases were registered. Eighteen direct threats and attacks were reported to the police, and 4 cases are currently before the prosecutor’s office. Due to differences in data between institutions, there is no reliable information on dismissed reports or court outcomes. So far, 4 active cases are known before the prosecutor’s office, while data on court proceedings are not available.

Serbia
The SafeJournalists database records 238 cases, of which, according to available information, 136 were reported to the police and prosecutor’s office. Seven criminal charges were dismissed, and the courts issued only one conviction. There are currently 126 cases before the prosecutor’s office, and in 2 cases, indictments have been filed. In addition, 33 unreported cases have been recorded, which further reveals the prevalence of impunity and distrust in institutional protection.

Due to the large number of cases and discrepancies between the network’s records and those of the prosecutor’s office, data on some cases is missing. Journalists in Serbia — especially since November 1 last year and the tragedy in Novi Sad — have been subjected to frequent attacks. The past 12 months have seen a record number of physical incidents, most often during protests and public gatherings. The attacks have mainly come from supporters of the government, and a significant number have been carried out by police officers — the very institution that is supposed to protect journalists.

An increasing number of media workers report being attacked by the police or that police officers have remained passive witnesses to violence against journalists. At the same time, many do not report incidents at all due to distrust in institutions and slow, ineffective procedures for cases that have already been reported.

These data clearly show that impunity remains a systemic problem. We call on all institutions to ensure faster investigations, effective prosecution and consistent sanctioning, as well as safeguard mechanisms that guarantee the safety of journalists and access to justice.

In some countries in the Western Balkans, the statistics on attacks on journalists and the resulting impunity are alarming. We cannot wait for the number of attacks to increase and for the attackers to go unpunished. Decisive and concrete steps are needed to create a safe environment and a legal framework that will enable free and responsible journalism in the region.

Impunity for attacks on journalists not only threatens their lives, but also undermines the fundamental values ​​of democracy, freedom of expression and the right to information. Without adequate protection, journalists become targets, and citizens are left without timely and accurate information.

We call on international organizations and institutions to continue to support the strengthening of the rule of law and media freedoms in the region and to exert additional pressure on the authorities to take concrete steps in the fight against impunity.

The SafeJournalists Network will continue its efforts to ensure a safe environment for journalists and defend media freedom — the foundation of any democratic society.