25 February 2025 – The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) strongly condemns the police raid on our Serbian member, CRTA which runs the fact-checking platform Istinomer.rs. This incident is an unacceptable attack on civil society, freedom of expression and fact-checking.
This morning, the criminal police department of the Ministry of Interior (Uprava kriminalističke policije) entered the premises of several major Serbian NGOs and publishers, including CRTA. The pro-government media and tabloids published this news before the police even arrived at CRTA’s premises. The raid was conducted under the guise of a baseless corruption investigation in connection with the usage of funds NGOs received from USAID, the United States Agency for International Development. These allegations are patently false and are a form of intimidation against an independent media organisation. Fact-checkers in Serbia speak truth to power. This attack by the Serbian government is nothing but an attempt to silence a free press. We call on Serbian authorities to cease such actions.
As a member of the EFCSN, Istinomer.rs is held to the highest standards of accountability, transparency and journalistic standards, as outlined in the EFCSN Code of Standards.
Harassment of fact-checkers who work to uphold freedom of information and democratic values in their countries is an alarming trend, which is only accelerating. The EFCSN expresses deep concern for this attack and stands with Istinomer.rs.
