Serbia orders expulsion of rights advocate Massimo Moratti

Serbian authorities have ordered human rights advocate Massimo Moratti to leave the country within 15 days. The decision, issued on September 4, denies his request for temporary residence and imposes a one-year entry ban, citing 'unacceptable security risks for the country' without providing further details.

Moratti, an Italian citizen, has lived in Belgrade continuously since 2022 with his family. He is the Senior Research Affiliate for the Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and matters in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium. He has over two decades of experience in the region, including work on EU projects assisting displaced persons and a prior role as Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s European Regional Office.

The expulsion order and appeal

The expulsion order followed a months-long administrative process. Moratti and his family applied for temporary residence in late January. His partner was granted residence in May. In June, Moratti was questioned by the Serbian State Security and Information Agency about his professional activities. He received the formal expulsion order the day after a police call to his partner.

With legal assistance, Moratti filed an appeal on September 10. He also requested an interim measure from the Administrative Court to suspend the enforcement, arguing it would force his family separation. The MFRR statement contends the order is a form of administrative harassment intended to intimidate him. "Our organisations consider the denial of his permit of stay and the expulsion order..." the coalition said.

Connection to rights advocacy

The MFRR partners suspect the expulsion is directly connected to Moratti's advocacy. Potential reasons include his human rights and media freedom work, his reporting for OBCT on rising social and political tensions in Serbia, and his role within the MFRR. The timeline of his targeting overlaps with a major MFRR advocacy mission.

In March 2026, the MFRR and the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform conducted a visit to Serbia, which Moratti joined. The mission's final report documented a severe media freedom crisis. This includes escalating physical violence against journalists and attempts by authorities to censor independent journalism.

A documented pattern of targeting

The action against Moratti fits a broader pattern documented in Serbia. Over the past two years, foreign civil society activists, journalists, and human rights advocates have repeatedly faced residence permit refusals, revocations, expulsions, or entry denials. These actions often use similarly vague 'security risk' justifications.

The European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Country chapter has documented this trend. The MFRR statement warns it represents a deliberate strategy to silence critical voices.

Coalition solidarity and monitoring

A coalition of ten international press freedom and human rights organisations has signed the statement of solidarity. They have pledged to closely monitor the legal proceedings. The groups urge Serbian authorities to immediately revoke the expulsion order and cease administrative harassment.

The signatories include OBCT, ARTICLE 19 Europe, and Reporters Without Borders. They frame the case as key for the defence of media freedom amid a dramatic deterioration in Serbia's press freedom environment.