OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meets with Ambassador of Serbia

On 22 February 2021, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador Roksanda Ninčić to discuss media freedom developments and challenges in Serbia.

Ribeiro and Ambassador Ninčić spoke about several issues, including the safety of journalists, the independence of the public service broadcaster and media regulatory body, and the need to preserve media pluralism and fair competition in the media market, particularly between State-owned and critical media.

They discussed ongoing investigations into the unresolved murder cases of journalists Slavko Ćuruvija (1999), Milan Pantić (2001) and Dada Vujasinović (1994), as well as the case of several employees of Radio Television Serbia who lost their lives during the NATO bombing in 1999. Noting the important steps undertaken by the Serbian authorities in establishing a dedicated Commission for the Investigation of Murders of Journalists in Serbia, Ribeiro and Ambassador Ninčić emphasized the need to bring all those responsible to justice, including the perpetrators and masterminds. In this regard, Ribeiro welcomed the readiness of Ambassador Ninčić to provide her and her Office with additional information on the investigations.

Ribeiro expressed her readiness to assist the Serbian government in implementing relevant OSCE commitments to ensure a safe and more robust media environment in the country, in order for journalists to be able to perform their professional activities without hindrance or fear of retaliation.

Ribeiro also underlined her interest in visiting the country and engaging in further discussions ahead of the OSCE’s annual South East Europe Media Conference.