ANEM ALARM: The Appellate Court reduced the sentence for Saša Mirović, who endangered the safety of Jelena S. Spasić, a journalist for Kurir.

Mirović was taken into custody following this threat, facing criminal charges for endangering safety under Article 138, Paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code. The court issued a ruling that he should be placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring until the trial, despite having previously been convicted of murder as a minor.

However, he removed the ankle monitor and escaped, which further disturbed journalist Jelena S. Spasić. Following his arrest and trial, the Higher Court in Belgrade sentenced Mirović to seven months in prison.

The Appellate Court confirmed that the first-instance court "provided clear and reasoned arguments regarding all decisive facts in this specific criminal matter, from which it can be reliably concluded that the defendant committed the criminal offense of endangering safety... by threatening to attack her life and body."

Despite the same findings, the Appellate Court modified the sentencing decision and imposed a conditional prison sentence of seven months, with a probation period of three years.

"The endangerment of journalist Jelena S. Spasić by the convicted Mirović was particularly brutal, as it occurred during a large campaign of spreading lies and defaming the journalist on social media. The knowledge that he had previously been convicted of murder as a minor and that he escaped from house arrest after removing his ankle monitor are additional reasons for a harsher sentence. Threats against journalists have significantly increased and become more brutal since the end of 2024, particularly against female journalists. The number of final convictions has drastically decreased. Out of over 200 threats and attacks on journalists recorded by the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, there are only three cases with final court rulings. Therefore, it is essential for the police and prosecutors to enhance the effectiveness of investigations and the number of indictments, while the courts must protect the freedom of journalists in their decisions, as they are increasingly exposed to violence and attempted murders," emphasized Veran Matić, President of the Management Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.

*The project "Improvement of the System for the Mechanism of Prevention and Response in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Life of Journalists in Serbia" is conducted by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with support from the European Union.*