Several journalist teams denied entry to Serbia

Among those denied entry was Slovenian journalist Marko Gregorc from POP TV. His team, along with reporters from other media outlets, including Croatia’s RTL and Slobodna Dalmacija, was held at the border for some time before being turned back. These journalists were traveling to Belgrade to cover the ongoing protests.

The POP TV team was traveling in a clearly marked vehicle with professional equipment.

„We had no idea we would face any issues when we left Ljubljana. Our network immediately reached out to authorities in Belgrade to ask what we needed to do to report from the protests, and the Serbian Ministry of Information assured us there would be no problems. However, when we arrived at the border, the police didn’t care about that email. As soon as they saw we were press, they pulled us aside, made us wait for two hours, and then handed us a document stating we had to turn back due to a ‘negative security risk assessment,’” Gregorc said.

He believes this reflects an effort by authorities in Belgrade to prevent news of the protests from reaching the global audience.

„But this is absurd—today in Belgrade, there will be thousands and thousands of people with phones, and the footage will make its way to the world regardless. This is a clear indication of undemocratic processes currently unfolding in Serbia,“ he told N1.

Gregorc also noted that some Slovenian photojournalists managed to enter Belgrade without any issues. „I spoke to a colleague who had no press markings on his car. He told the border officers he was visiting the city’s river barges, and they let him through,“ he added.

A similar experience was reported by Croatian journalist Iva Anzulovic, as well as RTL and Slobodna Dalmacija’s teams.

The move has drawn condemnation from SafeJournalists, an organization advocating for press freedom.