Braathu: Pressure on journalists and media increasing in Serbia and other OSCE member states

This downward trend, he stressed, is evident in legal harassment, pressures, threats of surveillance, physical, and online attacks, and is present throughout the OSCE area, not just in Serbia.

"But since we are here, in Serbia, I say that we are concerned about what is happening in Serbia," said Braathu speaking at at the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) panel 'Between Pressure and Resistance: Media Freedoms in the Mirror of the NUNS Report'.

Braathu, who until recently was the head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, pointed out that for some journalists, especially female journalists and those who cover corruption, ecology and local authorities, threats are not isolated incidents but persistent and ongoing, and the risk to their safety is increased by frequent silence and inadequate response to it, and, "if not outright encouragement" to exert pressure from relevant bodies.

"This is not just a human rights issue, but a systemic democratic issue because the chilling effect on journalism leads to a chilling effect on public discourse, and when that happens, democratic governance suffers," he underlined.

Bratu stressed that in Serbia, the current, second round of elections for the members of the Council of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) "raises serious concerns" regarding compliance with the Media Law and that many have pointed out significant shortcomings and risks of undermining the integrity and credibility of the process, and thus the independence of REM and the integrity of the entire regulatory system in Serbia.

He pointed out that the situation across the OSCE participating states is very difficult in terms of the safety of journalists and media freedom.

In a message to the domestic authorities, he said that he was indicating to them that media freedom and the safety of journalists are basic human rights, but also a key aspect of democratic governance, and that without media freedom there can be no truly democratic form of governance."