06 May The right to freedom of media in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia

On 28 March, Serbian government adopted a five-point decision regulating the centralization of public information on the coronavirus pandemic during the current state of emergency. The Decision mentions that all information to the public is to be shared by the Prime Minister or by individuals authorized by the Crisis Management Taskforce. The decision also refers to the implementation of health-related measures and other information related to the treatment of the COVID-19 disease. 

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Andrea Orizio, expressed their concerns today over a new decision by the Government of Serbia on public information during the current health emergency and the impact that this could have on free access to information in the country. This decision seems to exclude media and journalists from getting information on the pandemic from sources other than the ones mentioned in the Decision. 

Mr. Harlem Désir said that ccess to information is key for the media, which plays an important role in this time of health crisis in providing vital information to the public and in the fight against the spread of false information on the pandemic, and while he fully understands the need to combat the dissemination of false information during this health emergency, he is concerned about the impact of this decision on the work of the media and journalists.

Following the decision, journalist Ana Lalic was arrested on April 1 after a criminal complaint was filed against her for spreading panic. Media outlet Nova.rs published the text, “KC Vojvodina about to crack: No protection for nurses”. The article claimed the institution lacked basic equipment and had “chaotic working conditions at the time of the pandemic“.

On April 2, the Serbian government revoked the decision, and on the same day journalist Ana Lalic was released.

 On the same day, 2 April 2020 the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Andrea Orizio, welcomed the reversal by the Serbian Government of the decision on public information during the current health emergency and stated that this will keep channels open for media professionals to seek, receive and impart information during the pandemic.

References from the website of OSCE and website of the Balkan Insight