ANEM ALARM: Direct threats of violence against the editors of 021 and journalists from Pančevo Si Ti, interference with the work of the N1 reporter.

Threats were directed at her in a comment below the news article for which Prica Kovačević is not even the author, while the editorial team of the portal and Radio 021 state that the threats and insults have been ongoing. An operator on ANEM's Safe Line for journalist safety will report this direct threat to the Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime. ANEM expects a swift identification and prosecution of the responsible individual.

We also condemn the harassment and insults directed at the N1 news team, which were prevented from reporting on the gathering in front of the headquarters of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) in Belgrade today by supporters of the Informer television. ANEM also warns of the months-long threats that have been directed at journalists of the local portal Pančevo Si Ti.

During the live coverage by N1 journalist Anđela Čolanić on the morning program "Novi dan," individuals gathered intentionally walked in front of the camera, obstructing it with umbrellas and attempting to drive the news team away from Nikola Pašić Square.  

Supporters of Informer gathered in front of REM ahead of a council meeting where measures against that television station were being considered. ANEM warns that the presence of the highest state officials, including acting President of Serbia Ana Brnabić, President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Miloš Vučević, and Minister of Defense in technical mandate Bratislav Gašić, along with the editor-in-chief of Informer Dragan J. Vučićević, represents serious political pressure on an independent regulatory body and an attempt to influence its decision-making.

Prica Kovačević received an extremely disturbing comment via the 021.rs website, which contains a series of personal insults, sexist messages, accusations of treason, and acting on someone else's orders, as well as specific threats of revenge. The manner of address and the elaborately detailed threats indicate a targeted intimidation of the journalist. According to the editorial team, insulting and threatening comments are almost a daily occurrence, but this one stands out due to its directness and severity.

ANEM expresses serious concern regarding the intimidation of journalists from the local portal Pančevo Si Ti, whose editorial team has faced insults and direct threats of physical violence over the past four months, particularly following publications about the murals of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Pančevo. Approximately 40 individuals issued threats via social media, including messages threatening to beat the journalists and indicating that the senders know where they live. 

ANEM warns that insults, intimidation, threats, and attempts to remove news teams from public spaces are unacceptable and represent a serious threat to the safety of journalists and media freedom. The cases of harassment against the N1 team, targeted threats against the journalist from 021.rs, and the months-long intimidation of the Pančevo Si Ti editorial team raise the question of whether these are organized pressures on journalists or the consequences of long-term hostility towards them propagated by media content like Informer, which enjoys public support from representatives of the political establishment loyal to the outgoing government. ANEM demands that the relevant authorities thoroughly investigate all these cases, establish accountability, and ensure the protection of journalists.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project “Improving the System Mechanism for Prevention and Response in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Lives of Female and Male Journalists in Serbia” is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.

The OSCE Mission in Serbia has supported ANEM's project “24/7 SOS Hotline for Assistance to Journalists and Other Vulnerable Media Workers,” as part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia.”