**Serbia’s Government Silences Independent Journalist**
The Serbian government has taken another step to silence independent journalism. This time, they have intentionally excluded an N1 European correspondent from a press conference held by President Aleksandar Vučić in Brussels.
President Vučić met with European leaders on Tuesday and then held a press conference. All other Serbian journalists were informed about the event, but N1’s Nikola Radišić was deliberately left out. This is not a coincidence – it comes just days after he asked difficult questions to President Vučić about the possible use of sound weapons against protesters in Serbia.
**A Broader Crackdown on Media Freedom**
This act of discrimination is part of a broader and escalating crackdown on media freedom in Serbia. Independent journalists have faced increasing harassment, physical attacks, and coordinated smear campaigns orchestrated by state-controlled media and government officials. The highest-ranking figures in Serbia have openly targeted independent media, branding journalists as foreign agents and enemies of the state.
**A Threat to Press Freedom Across Europe**
The exclusion of independent journalists from government events is not just an attack on N1 – it’s an attack on the public’s right to be informed. Journalists exist to ask questions, not to be punished for them. We urge international journalist organizations to strongly condemn this act of discrimination and pressure Serbian authorities to uphold the fundamental principles of press freedom.
**A Test of Democratic Resilience**
The silencing of independent media must not become an accepted norm. The erosion of media freedoms in Serbia is a warning sign for press freedom across Europe. If the Serbian government is allowed to blacklist journalists without consequence, others will follow. This is a test of democratic resilience, and we must not allow those in power to decide which journalists get to do their job and which voices are silenced.
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