A Dutch court has declined jurisdiction in a dispute between the founder of United Group and its current leadership, a decision that many fear could accelerate the decline of independent journalism in Serbia. The case, centered on a corporate governance battle in the Netherlands, has quickly evolved into a test of press freedom more than a thousand kilometers away – in a country where critical media voices are vanishing fast.

In the marble-lined Palace of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, the hearing might have seemed like an ordinary business dispute. Yet observers, including journalists and human rights advocates, say the implications extend far beyond boardroom politics. The ruling, they warn, could open the door to political interference in Serbia’s last major independent broadcasters – N1 and Nova – both owned by United Media, the media arm of United Group.

At the heart of the dispute is Dragan Šolak, a Serbian entrepreneur and founder of United Group, once one of the most successful regional telecommunications and media conglomerates in Southeast Europe. Šolak was removed from the company’s board earlier this year after London-based investment firm BC Partners – United Group’s majority shareholder – dismissed CEO Viktoria Boklag and replaced her with Stan Miller, a Dutch executive.

Šolak and his legal team allege that BC Partners orchestrated an internal “governance crisis” to consolidate control over the company, undermining the editorial independence of its media operations in Serbia. His lawsuit accused BC Partners of “jeopardizing both corporate interests and democratic values,” suggesting that the restructuring could be linked to pressures from the Serbian government under President Aleksandar Vučić.

United Group and BC Partners have firmly rejected those claims, describing the case as a personal power struggle by a disgruntled........

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