ANEM ALARM: Death threats to the editor of the Lazarevac portal Pravo u centar

From the profile of Stojan Marković, with a profile picture in the uniform of the Serbian Army, a message arrived on Facebook from the editors of a local media outlet in Lazarevac, which is a member of ANEM, stating: “And I will post with a Military person who never retires; I will shoot you for 30 minutes and then throw you in the sewer.”

ANEM draws attention to the fact that this is not only about endangering safety through a death threat but also about a threat of rape, accompanied by a degrading conclusion of being thrown into the sewer.

“In addition to the content of the threat itself, it is further disturbing that the perpetrator presents himself as an army officer and emphasizes that officers ‘are never retired,’ thereby portraying himself as an ‘active’ military person. If he is indeed a military person, whether active or retired, this suggests the possibility that he possesses a weapon. From the message itself, it can be concluded that there are indications of possible serious psychological issues with the perpetrator, which further increases the risk of committing a criminal act,” stated Veran Matić, President of the ANEM Board of Directors, a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and an operator on the Safe Line for journalists at 0800 100 115.

We remind you that Pravo u centar is the only independent media outlet in Lazarevac, and Maria Popović is a frequent target of threats, insults, misogynistic attacks, and other forms of harassment. Due to all of the above, the level of threat to her safety is extremely high.

ANEM demands that the relevant authorities urgently respond to this threat, identify and prosecute the perpetrator, especially considering that he presents himself as a military person.

We also appeal to all journalists and media representatives to regularly report any type of safety threat while performing their work. All journalists have access to the free telephone number and direct line of ANEM at 0800 100 115, where media representatives can obtain explanations about the legal treatment of the offense and the procedures that should be initiated to report safety threats 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 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 Endangered Media Workers,” as part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia.”