ANEM ALARM: The police are to identify the individual who threatened and endangered the safety of Fahrudin Kladničanin in Novi Pazar.
The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemns in the strongest terms the verbal attack, insults, and threats received yesterday in Novi Pazar by Fahrudin Kladničanin, editor of the portal Hava.rs and director of the Academic Initiative Forum 10, which were also recorded in the official memorandum of the Novi Pazar Police Department.
An unknown individual directed politically motivated remarks at Kladničanin, insulting him and accusing him of being "sent from Belgrade to spread politics," accompanied by a series of curses, insults, and threatening messages. After Kladničanin turned around and attempted to walk away, the assailant continued the verbal assault, making threats and insults related to his journalistic and public engagement.
The situation further escalated when Kladničanin tried to give a statement to Blic TV. According to him, a group of young men gathered around the assailant, after which the insults and threats continued, including messages that he would "see what happens" when he goes out onto the street.
Kladničanin clearly stated in his report at the police station in Novi Pazar that he was present at the scene solely in his capacity as a journalist and not as a private individual.
ANEM has reported these threats to the prosecutor's office and calls on the relevant authorities to promptly identify and initiate proceedings against the person who threatened Kladničanin. The police and the prosecutor's office must also act preventively to prevent physical attacks and to ensure that the threat received by this journalist is not realized.
Threats and verbal assaults against media representatives are unacceptable in democratic societies, and the relevant institutions are obligated to protect all media representatives reporting from the field and to prosecute anyone who jeopardizes their safety in any way.
We also call on journalists and media representatives to regularly report any threats to their safety while performing their duties via the Safe Line at 0800 100 115.
Veran Matić, President of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), member of the Permanent Working Group on Journalist Safety, and operator of the Safe Line for Journalists
The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder 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.
The OSCE Mission in Serbia has supported ANEM's project "24/7 SOS Helpline for Journalists and Other At-Risk Media Workers," as part of the EU-funded project "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Serbia."
