ANEM ALARM: The editorial team of the Mašina portal received a threat of a "bullet to the head."

The threat came from the account batko97 under a post on Instagram in which the editorial team of Mašina calls on the public to support their work through donations. The message emphasized: "I donate you a bullet to the forehead, that’s all." The editorial team, in their post about the threat, reminded that threats and attacks on journalists are becoming increasingly frequent.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) urges all relevant authorities to urgently respond to this death threat, identify and prosecute the perpetrator to prevent such situations from recurring.

We once again demand from the relevant authorities, the police and the prosecution, to review all cases of threats, pressure, attacks, and other forms of endangerment of journalists' and media workers' safety, as it is unacceptable for media professionals to live and work in fear for their safety.

"In the last year and a half, more than 80 threats have been reported to the Special Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime. None of these cases have been resolved in court nor has the perpetrator been punished: a hundred percent impunity is an absolute record in the last ten years of the existence of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, of which the prosecution is a part. Without safe journalists, we cannot talk about media freedom and quality information for citizens, and the impunity of such cases sends a bad message that attacks on media workers are permissible instead of the perpetrators being held accountable for such behavior," stated Veran Matić, president of the Board of Directors of ANEM, a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and operator of the Safe Line for Journalists 0800 100 115.

ANEM appeals to all journalists, female journalists, and media representatives to regularly report any form of endangerment to their safety while performing their work. All journalists have access to the free phone number and direct line of ANEM at 0800 100 115, where media representatives can receive explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures that need to be initiated to report threats to their safety to the relevant institutions, police, and prosecution.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "Improvement of the System Mechanism for Prevention and Response in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Lives of Female and Male Journalists in Serbia" is conducted 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 Helpline for Journalists and Other At-Risk Media Workers," as part of the EU-funded project "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia."