Serbia’s War on Free Media is Moving to ‘Street Level’

The regime is delegating the task of intimidating the rare defenders of democracy in Serbia to right-wing hooligans and gangs like the People’s Patrols.

Serbia is not a desirable place for journalists who do not support the regime. Persecutions, bans, punishments and obstructions have been a constant accompaniment to this profession since the time of Yugoslav communist rule under Josip Broz Tito.

In later times, under Slobodan Milosevic, journalists were killed; Slavko Curuvija and Dada Vujasinovic – kidnapped; Dusan Reljic, or arrested; Desa Trevisan. Entire newsrooms were fined; Dnevni Telegraf, Evropljanin, Danas, Blic … and behind of all that of course, was the regime.

However, it was never quite like it is today, under the rule of Aleksandar Vucić and the Serbian Progressive Party, SNS.