The most recent attack occurred only one day after a post published on the social media accounts of Euronews Serbia. The post contained a segment from a television appearance by one of the prominent sympathizers of the Serbian Progressive Party, in which false claims about YIHR were spread in a discriminatory and derogatory manner. In response, we sent a letter informing Euronews about the unprofessional and propagandistic reporting of the Euronews affiliate in Serbia.
Narodne Patrole is a far-right organization that has repeatedly participated in campaigns of spreading hatred, issuing direct threats to individuals and marginalized groups, denying war crimes, and glorifying war criminals. In the past, its members have also physically attacked citizens and journalists from independent media outlets. As a rule, there has been no institutional response against members of this organization.
The Youth Initiative for Human Rights warns about increasingly frequent campaigns of spreading hatred through disinformation, which directly endanger the safety of employees and activists working for human rights and democracy. These campaigns have intensified in the period leading up to the local elections in 10 municipalities in Serbia, scheduled for the end of March this year.
After a targeted campaign was launched on social media at the beginning of 2026 accusing YIHR of being behind the student protests, further accusations followed alleging the desecration of monuments in Belgrade. In recent days, the spread of disinformation about the work of the Youth Initiative has continued, along with baseless attempts to link the organization to the student protests. Cyberattacks on the YIHR’s websites – which contain facts about the involvement of institutions and representatives of the Republic of Serbia in the wars of the 1990s, as well as the damage to property that occurred the previous night, are a direct consequence of the narrative being spread through the media.
We remind the public that in April 2025, 80 employees of the Euronews Serbia newsroom publicly distanced themselves from a statement issued by the editorial leadership of the television channel regarding protests in front of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) in Belgrade, which later resulted in the dismissal of journalists. Euronews Serbia operates as a branded affiliate of the wider Euronews network. Such conduct in Serbia raises questions about media independence and impartial reporting.
The attacks on YIHR in the recent period represent a continuation of pressure on human rights defenders, contributing to the ongoing erosion of democracy in Serbia. We express concern that these attacks may be coordinated, given that powerful individuals and media outlets close to the ruling regime are involved.
YIHR advocates for a democratic society in which there is no place for hate speech, repression, or the persecution of human rights activists.
