Urgent Demand to Prosecute Those Responsible for Threats Against Vuk Cvijić

Regional Academy for Democratic Development strongly condemns the threats directed at Radar weekly journalist Vuk Cvijić following the publication of an article in that outlet. A call from an unknown number from abroad containing an unequivocally threatening message represents yet another piece of evidence that journalists in Serbia are systematically exposed to pressure, intimidation, and direct threats—particularly when they address issues of public interest that touch upon the links between government, organized crime, and corruption.

It is especially alarming that Vuk Cvijić himself has indicated that the threats originate from criminal circles that enjoy either open or tacit support from the current authorities. This assessment is not isolated; it fits into a long-standing pattern of governance in which critical journalists are targeted, discredited, and placed at risk—first through campaigns in pro-government media, and subsequently through direct threats and physical attacks in public spaces.

Responsibility for the atmosphere in which such attacks are possible lies directly with Aleksandar Vučić. For years, dating back to the period surrounding the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija and the events that preceded it, a narrative has been systematically constructed in Serbia portraying independent journalists as “enemies of the state,” “foreign mercenaries,” or “traitors.” Such rhetoric from the highest levels of power legitimizes violence and encourages criminal structures to assume the role of enforcers of threats.

ADD demands an urgent and serious response from the prosecution authorities, including the identification and prosecution of those responsible for the threats against Vuk Cvijić, as well as an end to the public targeting of journalists by officeholders and pro-government media. Freedom of the media is not an abstract principle; it is a fundamental precondition for the safety of any society. Every threat against a journalist is a threat against the public and a direct attack on democracy.

ADD expresses full solidarity with Vuk Cvijić and the Radar editorial team, reaffirming that intimidation will not and must not silence those who work in the public interest.

Novi Sad, 19 December 2025