Vučić forces German magazine Der Spiegel into retreat: Publication temporarily banned from reporting Serbian president's alleged link to 'Sarajevo Safari'

A court in Hamburg has issued a temporary injunction against the German weekly Der Spiegel, prohibiting it from publishing specific claims that link Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to the "Sarajevo Safari" case. The ruling, made on May 18 and announced Friday, stems from a lawsuit filed by Vučić himself.

The court's order forbids the magazine from disseminating statements that could imply the Serbian president participated in the targeted killing of civilians by foreign tourists during the 1992-1995 siege of Sarajevo. The banned quotes reportedly refer to allegations that Vučić, as a member of a Chetnik paramilitary unit stationed at a Sarajevo cemetery, had contact with "foreign human hunters."

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Foreigners against whom the request was filed are issued a temporary measure prohibiting the dissemination or distribution of claims... which could raise doubts that the applicant, within the framework of the siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1995, participated in the targeted killing of civilians by foreign tourists, as stated in the article 'Rich Europeans who traveled to Sarajevo to hunt people'.

Der Spiegel also faces a temporary ban on publishing quotes from an article that appeared in its print edition on March 17, 2026. These quotes allegedly concern a conversation between the article's author and Croatian journalist Domagoj Margetić, during which evidence was presented about Vučić's alleged affiliation with the aforementioned unit.

Suzana Vasiljević, Vučić's media advisor, stated that the Hamburg court's decision represents a significant affirmation that clear standards of responsible and professional reporting exist, even for politically exposed individuals, particularly when faced with grave and baseless accusations that could severely damage one's reputation. Der Spiegel has the right to appeal the decision.

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The court's decision in Hamburg represents an important confirmation that even in the case of politically exposed persons, there are clear standards of responsible and professional reporting, especially when it comes to serious and unfounded accusations that can seriously harm someone's reputation.