OSCE Warns Serbia Against Internet Censorship

The OSCE's representative on freedom of the media has expressed concern about online censorship in Serbia.

Speaking at a conference in Stockholm on May 27, Dunja Mijatovic urged Serbian authorities "to stop interfering with the work of online media outlets," especially in times of crisis, such as the current situation with flooding in the region.

As the flooding became severe in Serbia, the Serbian government instituted a state of emergency, which gives authorities the power to detain individuals for "inciting panic."

During the floods in Serbia, Mijatovic said, entire websites were removed from the Internet, blogs were censored, and various individuals were arrested or interrogated.

Mijatovic urged the authorities to nurture uncensored debate on issues of public interest.


With reporting by inserbia.info