ANEM ALARM: 19 years since the assassination attempt on Dejan Anastasijević – a crime without effective investigation and punishment.
After years of smear campaigns, stigmatization, accusations of treason and mercenarism, as well as a series of brutal, "radically radical" slanders, there was an attempt at execution. Terrorists set off two bombs under the window of the room where journalist Dejan Anastasijević was sleeping with his wife on the night of April 13-14, 2007. One bomb exploded and damaged the other. Shrapnel was scattered throughout the apartment, but, thanks to the position of the bed, they did not hit the target.
Numerous condemnations of the assassination attempt followed, along with promises that "the sky and the earth will be turned upside down," but there were no concrete results. The then Minister of Information stated that journalists should live on higher floors, not on the ground level.
In his own investigation, which he conducted after the official inquiry yielded no results, Anastasijević pointed to possible motives. He noted that a year earlier, he received information from the International Court in The Hague that Vojislav Šešelj had sent a list of potential witnesses against him to his party associates through his wife, which were to be intimidated or eliminated, and that his name was on that list.
Another possible motive was also linked to the trials at this tribunal: the prosecution had, without his knowledge and consent, placed Dejan Anastasijević on the witness list in the case against Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, even though he had nothing to testify about. The defendants were informed about this, but Dejan was not.
Two days before the assassination attempt, Anastasijević spoke on B92 about the war crimes committed by the "Scorpions" unit. Despite his findings, the police investigation not only failed to yield results, but the investigative actions appeared to simulate a real investigation.
After the murder of Milan Pantić in Jagodina, this was the most serious attack – an attempt on a journalist's life – during the then government. Alongside the murders of Slavko Ćuruvija and Dada Vujasinović, none of these cases have been fully resolved.
Dejan Anastasijević lived with his family under protection for some time, then worked as a correspondent from Brussels, but the prolonged exposure to threats, attacks, and tabloid campaigns seriously deteriorated his health. He passed away prematurely at the age of 57 in April 2019.
"Dejan Anastasijević was one of the best reporters covering the war in the former Yugoslavia, an investigator, and an analyst. He was consistent and unwavering in defending the public interest, even when it threatened his life.
That is why it is important for the media community not to abandon the demand at any moment to uncover the masterminds and perpetrators of this assassination. It is essential to continue gathering relevant information and await the political will and determination of prosecutors and judges to deliver the long-awaited justice in these cases," stated Veran Matić, the president of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.
Dejan Anastasijević began his career at Radio B92 and then continued at the weekly publication "Vreme." He was a correspondent for Tanjug from Brussels and the editor of BBC Serbian.
The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia established a prestigious award for investigative journalism named after Dejan Anastasijević. The award is presented in three categories: for the best investigative story, for the best investigative story in local media, and for reporting in the public interest. The competition is open until April 15.
More information about the assassination attempt and investigations is available at the following links:
Veran Matić - Crucified Journalism - Public Service
The Best Kill, and Only the Worst Remain Silent - Public Service
Dejan Anastasijević's appearance on the show Kažiprst with Danica Vučenić, three days before the assassination attempt on Dejan and his family:
B92 - Shows - Standards - Internet, Radio, and TV Station; latest news from Serbia
Appearance of the Minister of Information Dragan Kojadinović, three days after the assassination attempt:
The project "Improvement of the System for Prevention and Response Mechanism in Cases of Threats to the Security and Lives of Female and Male Journalists in Serbia" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.
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