The ‘Serbia Thing’ Tape Highlighted the Perils Facing Free Media

The Netherlands-based United Group’s Serbian television station, N1, along with its other station Nova S, have long been among the few media outlets that give space to human rights defenders and victims of systemic abuse in the country. For years, they have done their work under relentless pressure, including smear campaigns, attacks by top government officials and constant targeting by pro-government media. This was why it was so disturbing when the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and its Serbian partner, KRIK, published a leaked audio recording in August in which the CEOs of United Group and Serbian state-owned telecommunications company Telekom Srbija appeared to discuss actions that might weaken the independence of N1 – one of the few platforms for opposition voices during the current anti-government protests. In the leaked conversation, a voice identified as that of Stan Miller, CEO of United Group, appears to tell a person identified as Vladimir Lucic, CEO of Telekom Srbija, that “the Serbia thing” has become a problem – and that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has phoned Lukic to express his displeasure about N1 and called for the sacking of the director of United Group’s media arm. The voice identified as Miller then appears to promise Lukic that he will “do everything to help you”. When I read the transcript of this conversation, I shared it with my colleagues at the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and fellow activists, and we all froze. The same thought ran through our minds: if the intent is to further erode what little media freedom remains in Serbia, the public’s right to truthful information will vanish. The voices that still challenge government abuse will fall silent. This isn’t just another disappointment with public institutions. People in Serbia, especially the young, have long known that they must act in spite of institutions – not through them. Trust in public bodies has collapsed. Democracy is failing. And when that happens, the only tools left are our rights to speak, to organise, to protest. We must use them fully. But this leak signalled something even more dangerous: that there could be a deliberate, strategic effort to eliminate the last remaining spaces for independent, critical reporting – and with them, the possibility of accountability. Serbia has over 2,000 registered media outlets, but the market is deeply fragmented. For years, independent international organisations have warned that media freedom in the country is deteriorating rapidly. The most influential outlets include the public broadcaster, RTS, a handful of private national TV stations, several aggressively pro-government tabloids and the independent cable channel N1, a rare example of professional journalism. The International Press Institute has reported on unprecedented levels of violence and threats against journalists in Serbia, particularly those covering the anti-government protests. Police and government supporters have attacked reporters. Impunity is the norm. The number of aggressive ‘SLAPP’ lawsuits targeting investigative journalists continues to rise. Professional coverage of regional affairs in the Western Balkans, including reconciliation, transitional justice and good neighbourly relations, is almost non-existent. And what little is left is often actively undermined by state officials and pro-government media, who exploit wartime trauma and nationalistic narratives to consolidate power. In 2022, the Kremlin-backed RT, formerly Russia Today, began establishing itself in Serbia after being banned across the EU. In 2024, Reporters Without Borders reported that RT uses its Belgrade office to tailor Kremlin propaganda for distribution throughout Southeast Europe – another front in the war on facts. This is the context in which the leaked recording must be understood. It is not simply a corporate scandal. It is part of a broader assault on truth, accountability and Serbia’s democratic future. Back in the early 2000s, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights ran a campaign that brought together journalists from Serbia and Kosovo under the slogan “Journalists can do it”. It was a time of hope. The 1990s wars were over, the regime of Slobodan Milosevic had fallen, and a better future seemed possible. Today, that spirit has nearly vanished. Very few media outlets still support cooperation between Kosovo and Serbian journalists. N1 is one of them. But journalists can’t do it alone anymore. And it’s not fair to expect them to. Freedom of opinion and expression includes the right of every person to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and share information – regardless of borders and politics, regardless of who it makes uncomfortable. This week, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights submitted formal complaints to several UK regulators regarding BC Partners, the British investment firm that is United Group’s majority shareholder. Our complaint follows the leaked conversation between Stan Miller and Vladimir Lucic, which we believe confirms the Serbian president’s personal involvement in efforts to dismantle critical media. United Group has confirmed the authenticity of the recording, although it has rejected what it called “false and misleading” allegations that it is attempting to limit the independence of N1 or Nova S. United Group insisted that “news independence is sacrosanct to the current management and the majority shareholder BC Partners, and will never be influenced by any political interference”. However, like many in Serbia, we are alarmed. The protection of independent, pluralistic media is not a side issue but a national and regional priority. Without it, other freedoms begin to collapse. We believe that UK regulators must investigate these allegations and examine concerns that a British company may be complicit in the erosion of critical democratic institutions in Serbia. We are appealing for anyone who might have information to contact us. All this is not about “the Serbia thing”. It’s about the right to know. To speak. To dissent. To hear the truth when it’s inconvenient. Serbia’s democratic space is shrinking fast. We need to get together to defend it, before silence becomes the only sound left. Sofija Todorovic is director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BIRN.