The Committee to Protect Journalists and eight partner organizations urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday to raise the issue of the escalating press freedom crisis in the Western Balkans, particularly in Serbia, during her visit to the region this week.
The joint statement highlights the severe deterioration of press freedom in the region, including the abrupt shutdown of Al Jazeera Balkans; the alarming increase in violence and threats against journalists in Serbia, the adoption of a “foreign agent” law in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska; and government pressure on public broadcasters and private outlets in Albania and Kosovo. The coalition warns that these developments represent an existential threat to independent journalism and calls on the EU to hold authorities accountable, including through the possible suspension of EU funds if necessary.
The signatories emphasize that press freedom and journalist safety must remain central to the process of the EU’s enlargement, and that the union should send a clear signal that independent media outlets are indispensable to democracy and European values in the Western Balkans.
Read the full statement here.