ANEM ALARM: Identify and penalize the person who is threatening Biljana Stepanović.

Threats were received in direct messages on the social network Facebook from a profile named "Deana Smith," which stated: "Ma'am, we will meet... Due to the call for a lynching of Serbian police officers and their families, we will meet. And now run to that same police and ask for protection. You can write that you were drunk, ma'am. Because of this, ma'am. Belgrade, circle 2, is small. Eventually. Ma'am. You don't have lieutenants like Staša Zajović. Believe me, ma'am, we will meet."

The messages were sent in response to comments made by Biljana Stepanović on the network X about the wives of police officers from Valjevo, for which a screenshot was also sent by the individual.

The journalist reported these threats to the relevant police and prosecutor's office departments. ANEM also submitted a report to the Special Department for High-Tech Crime of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade.

ANEM calls on state authorities to resolve the latest case of threats against journalists promptly and to begin taking all legal measures against individuals who endanger the safety of media workers in Serbia so that the series of threats, pressures, and attacks, which have reached record levels since the beginning of last year, can be halted.

"This threat should be taken very seriously, as it clearly expresses the intent to endanger the safety of Biljana Stepanović right in the street in downtown Belgrade, where the highest number of assailants per square meter is located. In the vicinity of Pioneer Park and the illegal camp of assailants, which also covers circle 2, dozens of attacks have occurred against female and male journalists for which no one has yet been held accountable. Therefore, we call on institutions to protect the editorial team of Nova ekonomija and Biljana Stepanović," stated Veran Matić, president of the ANEM Board of Directors, operator of the Safe Line for journalists, and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.

We remind you that in a democratic society, everyone has the right to express their views on events in the country publicly and that it is absolutely unacceptable to send threatening and intimidating messages due to disagreement with someone's opinion.

The state is obliged, once again, to ensure freedom of speech, which is one of the fundamental conditions for democracy, as well as to protect all journalists and media so they can carry out their work uninterrupted and without pressure in accordance with professional standards.

ANEM also appeals to all journalists, male and female, and media representatives to regularly report any form of endangerment to their safety while performing their work, as such instances must be documented and counted to draw the attention of the domestic and international public to the pressures that media in Serbia are increasingly facing.

All journalists have access to a free phone number and direct line of ANEM at 0800 100 115, where media representatives can obtain explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures that should be initiated to report endangerment to safety to the relevant institutions, police, and prosecutor's office.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

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

The OSCE Mission in Serbia supported ANEM's project "24/7 SOS Hotline for Assistance to Journalists and Other Endangered Media Workers," within the project funded by the European Union "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia."