The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a subsidiary of the International Press Institute (IPI), today condemned the alleged assault on a television crew from Belgrade-based Studio B TV.

On Feb. 22, 2012, reporters from Studio B were filming in the downtown area of the Serbian capital when a person approached and threatened them, and subsequently hit the camera assistant. The police detained the assailant.

SEEMO recalls that in the cases of previous assaults against journalists, alleged perpetrators were briefly detained, before being released. Any subsequent sentences were inordinately light. SEEMO joins the Association of Serbian Journalists (UNS) in demanding more significant sanctions in such cases.

“I applaud any prompt police action, but I also call on the authorities to guarantee the safety of journalists,” SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said. “Sentences for this type of offence are often very light, and courts take a long time to deliberate and implement them.”