ANEM ALARM: Unacceptable targeting of Danica Vučević in Novosti, which has also drawn the attention of the president.

Evening News has published a text titled “EXECUTE VUČIĆ – DANICA VUČENIĆ: What is controversial (VIDEO),” which states that after Aleksandar Dikić was arrested, Danica Vučenić discussed the case with his lawyer Ivan Ninić on a show and expressed confusion over why he is being charged with undermining the constitutional order, as she "does not see" anything controversial in his statement.

This news was reported without any verification by other pro-government tabloids and television stations, whose journalists today asked the president for a reaction. The president also responded without any doubt or verification:

“I accept that, and it would go down in history. I am not afraid of those cowards. Imagine executing a man during whose time your country advanced the most, during whose time wages and pensions were the highest, and during whose time the most roads and railways were built, a man who built everything for you... Come on, execute him, get it over with; you cannot win otherwise,” Vučić stated, continuing his incendiary rhetoric towards the N1 and Nova media, accusing them of having “called for the overthrow of the constitutional order” countless times.

In the show “N1 Direct” which aired on Wednesday, December 24, in the evening, it can be clearly heard, among other things in the recording published on the News portal as evidence for their claims, that the journalist asked the lawyer: “It is not clear why he is being charged with undermining the constitutional order, given that this is not evident in the statement. What is going on?” Therefore, she did not state that she “does not see anything controversial” in the alleged call for the execution of Vučić.

“It is terrible and dangerous that Vučić first manipulates the question posed by our journalist in the show, based on false narratives and orders to spread untruths against N1 and Nova, which are then taken up by pro-government media, and then the president delivers a final verdict, and then, as was the case with the so-called boy from Valjevo, falsehoods are circulated for months afterward. In this way, he jeopardizes the safety of Danica Vučenić, and I call on him to cease statements that endanger all journalists who engage in journalism and who dare to ask freely,” said Igor Božić, program director of N1, to ANEM.

ANEM reminds that this is a blatant violation of the Code of Journalists of Serbia and calls on Evening News to immediately remove the text from their website and apologize to Danica Vučenić, as well as all other media that reported this inaccurate news with a sensationalist headline.

We once again appeal to the president of Serbia not to target and spread hatred towards media outlets whose editorial policies he disagrees with, as just a few days ago we had an example where, following inappropriate behavior and statements from the president, N1 journalist Mladen Savatović received numerous threats.

**Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)**

*The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and the Protection of Journalists" 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 and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications of the Republic of Serbia.*