Two Serbian journalists’ organizations said that President Aleksandar Vucic’s announced speech on freedom of the media in crisis situations is highly hypocritical.

The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) and Independent Society of Journalists of Vojvodina (NDNV) said the fact that Vucic was invited to speak at the Davos Forum at a panel on media freedom in crisis situations is “unreal, cynical and highly hypocritical”.  

A statement said that the safety of journalists, the media and media freedom in Serbia is in constant crisis and blamed Vucic for the situation. According to the two organizations, the Serbian president has “no moral right to give advice or make recommendations about media freedom at an international gathering”.  

The NUNS said it would present its annual report on pressure and attacks on journalists in 2018 on January 29, adding that the report shows rising insecurity among media professionals and a drop in media freedoms.