Dragan Sekulovski, Executive Director of the Association of Journalists of North Macedonia, has long been one of the leading voices on journalists’ safety in the Western Balkans. Through his role with the Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression, in particular under the EU and Council of Europe joint programme « Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkiye », he has collaborated with journalists, judges, prosecutors, police officers, and lawyers across the region, translating international standards into practical guidance. In this interview, he shares insights on shared challenges, regional best practices, and what it takes to protect journalists effectively.

How would you compare the key challenges journalists face in different Beneficiaries in the region? Are there specific issues that particularly stand out in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, or other Beneficiaries where you have worked?

In most Western Balkan countries, journalists face very similar structural problems: political pressure, SLAPPs and other abusive legal actions, difficult access to public information, and a high level of economic vulnerability of newsrooms and freelancers. This combination creates fertile ground for self-censorship.

In North Macedonia, the safety environment has improved compared to a decade ago and this is noted by Reporters Without Border latest index as well (42nd position for 2025), but this progress is fragile. Physical attacks are less frequent, yet verbal threats, smear campaigns and online harassment- often linked to political actors or organised online groups- still create constant pressure. An additional problem is often the slow and sometimes incomplete institutional response to reported attacks, which can reinforce a sense of impunity and discourage journalists from reporting threats.

Across the region, whether in North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or neighboring countries, the pattern is similar: journalists are most at risk when they investigate corruption, abuse of power, or sensitive issues for political party actors. The long-term challenge is to build an environment where they can work freely, without fear, backed by clear institutional guarantees for their safety and independence.

In your work with prosecutors, police officers, judges, and lawyers across the region, you often link Council of Europe standards with real-life examples from practice. How can legal professionals most effectively be made to understand journalists’ safety, and why is this “translating role” between media and the judiciary so important?

In my experience, legal professionals can most effectively protect journalists when they have a clear and coherent legal framework that reflects Council of Europe standards and that they can rely on in daily practice. This is why in 2023 we worked in North Macedonia on amendments to the Criminal Code so that an attack on a journalist is treated in a similar way as an attack on an official. Such solutions send a strong signal: an attack on a journalist is not just an attack on an individual, but an attack on the public’s right to be informed.

But good laws are only the first step. Judges, prosecutors, police officers and lawyers also need to understand the realities of journalistic work – the risks, pressures, deadlines and the public-interest role of the media. Together with the Council of Europe, we therefore organise joint trainings and discussions where we connect standards with concrete cases from the region and let journalists and legal professionals speak to each other directly. This “translating role” between the media community and the judiciary is crucial, because once there is mutual understanding and trust, institutions are far more likely to react quickly, consistently and effectively to threats against journalists.

The Council of Europe Training Programme on countering the use of SLAPPs, which you used in training sessions, was developed as a regional tool. From your experience, how much do such standardised programs contribute to a more consistent approach to protecting journalists across the Western Balkans?

Standardised programmes like the Council of Europe Training Programme on countering the use of SLAPPs are very useful because they create a common language and reference point for journalists’ safety across the Western Balkans. When trainers in different countries work with the same standards and structure, it becomes easier to compare practices, identify gaps, and push for similar levels of protection. In that sense, the Council of Europe action on Freedom of Expression clearly contributes to a more consistent and more professional approach across the region.

At the same time, the real impact comes when this framework is brought to life and adapted to each group. In my trainings, we always enrich the curriculum with concrete cases from the country where we work, scenario-based discussions, and role-play exercises – for example simulating how a journalist reports a threat, or how a prosecutor or police officer should react. This makes the content more dynamic and relevant, and participants repeatedly give feedback that these practical exercises help them understand not only the standards on paper, but also how to apply them in real situations.

During trainings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you focused specifically on violence against female journalists, including digital abuse. What forms of gender-based violence do female journalists most often report in the region, and what can institutions do to encourage reporting and ensure better protection?

In the region, women journalists most often report online, gender-based abuse: sexualised insults, threats of rape or physical violence, attacks on their appearance, and smear campaigns that try to discredit them as professionals by targeting them as women, mothers or partners. Very often, these attacks spill over into doxxing, stalking and threats against family members, which creates additional fear and pressure to withdraw from public debate. Unfortunately, the line between online and offline is very thin – what starts as a “comment” can quickly turn into real-life intimidation.

The situation is very similar in North Macedonia. We even have a specific protocol within the Ministry of Interior together with the Association of journalists for the protection of women journalists on line, which is a positive step on paper. However, the follow-up is often weak. Institutions too frequently justify inaction by saying that large social media platforms (Meta, X and others) do not fully cooperate with authorities because North Macedonia, among with other WB countries, is still only a candidate country for the EU and they are not under the same formal obligations as in EU member states. While this is a real obstacle, it cannot be an excuse for passivity and to certain point creates discrimination.

Given your long-standing engagement in responding to breaches of journalists’ safety, what do you consider the key elements of a sustainable, multi-sectoral protection model? Can a successful example from one Beneficiary be effectively transferred to other Beneficiaries in the region, and if so- which example would you highlight?

A sustainable protection model depends on a whole chain of actors working together. It requires quality laws aligned with Council of Europe standards and acts by the EU Parliament, journalists who are informed and willing to report threats, strong professional associations providing legal and advocacy support, and police and judiciary with integrity and specialised knowledge. These elements need to be linked through clear protocols, regular dialogue and joint trainings.

In the end, on a personal note, protecting journalists is not an act of solidarity with a profession, but a constitutional duty to protect the public interest and every citizen’s right to know.

“For me, the most important insight was realising that environmental problems are not ‘neutral’, but that they affect certain groups of people much more strongly.”

This reflection, shared by Vasilije Keranović from the Panel of Young Advisors to the Protector of Citizens, after working with students on a Council of Europe survey, captures one of the key messages emerging from the new Special Report on Youth and Environmental Rights. Presented in Belgrade, the report sheds light on how young people in Serbia increasingly understand environmental degradation as an issue closely linked to inequality, discrimination and access to rights.

“I understood that pollution, poor living conditions and climate change are most strongly felt by those who already have fewer opportunities to protect themselves or to influence decisions,” Vasilije adds. He also highlights another important takeaway from the process. “Another important fact is that many adults, especially educated people, are willing to take action on these issues.”

The survey was conducted among 1,044 primary and secondary school students across Serbia. Its findings show that more than half of respondents believe environmental degradation affects vulnerable groups the most, pushing them further to the margins of society. Students most often identified children, people living in poverty, national minorities, older people and persons with disabilities as those most exposed to environmental problems. At the same time, nearly one in three respondents were unable to identify which groups are most at risk, pointing to gaps in access to information and awareness.

These findings closely reflect the discussions Vasilije had with students while implementing the survey. Their reactions were mixed. Many welcomed the fact that the questionnaire was adapted to their language and completed via mobile phones, while others initially approached it as an informal classroom activity rather than a meaningful opportunity to express their views.

“The reactions were different,” Vasilije explains. “Students were happy that they could complete the survey on their phones and that the questions were simple and adapted to their way of speaking, but they also saw it as something informal, just an activity that takes time away from the lesson.”

At the outset, this attitude was often linked to a lack of confidence that their opinions could lead to change. “Yes, at the beginning students were uninterested and believed that their opinions would not change anything,” he says. “I explained to them that we are not only the future of the Republic of Serbia, but also its present, and that changes start with small things, such as filling in surveys like this or recycling plastic juice bottles.”

Once students began engaging more deeply with the topic, many quickly recognised the connection between environmental harm and social inequality. For Vasilije, this understanding is essential for fostering responsibility and solidarity among young people. “It is important for young people to understand these inequalities because it develops a sense of solidarity and responsibility towards others,” he says. “If we understand that environmental problems are not the same for everyone, it becomes much easier to advocate for fair solutions that bring benefits, especially to vulnerable groups.”

In his view, the survey results also reflect a broader shift among younger generations. “I think this shows how much today’s generations have progressed and that we are ready to actually do something concrete for the benefit of our country,” Vasilije adds.

Looking ahead, he believes decision-makers need to better recognise the role young people can play. “I would like decision-makers to understand that young people are not passive observers, but that they have clear views and a willingness to get involved,” he says. He underlines that the fight against discrimination and social inequalities must go hand in hand with environmental protection. “The fight against discrimination and social inequalities plays a key role in our society, especially among young people. Serbia must keep pace with the world and ensure that any form of belittling vulnerable groups is strictly sanctioned.”

Environmental protection, he concludes, is a fundamental step in the country’s development. “The fight to preserve the environment is also a key step in the development and improvement of the Republic of Serbia. If decisions are made without involving young people and without understanding how they affect the most vulnerable, those solutions will not be long-term or fair.”

The initiative is implemented within the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, in partnership with the Protector of Citizens, the Panel of Young Advisors and civil society organisations, ensuring that young people’s insights directly contribute to recommendations and future decision-making.