ANEM ALARM: The burial of Mladić has sparked a new wave of violence against journalists.

Messages express a desire for the death of a journalist, making "suggestions" that the author of the message and the journalist should "meet," as well as messages that represent threats of physical violence.

The most direct message states: "When we catch you... We will chop you into pieces," while others mention that "the world is small," that the sender will "run into someone similar," and that such behavior will not be tolerated in Serbia.

Novičić took the messages very seriously and is concerned for his own safety and that of his family. For this reason, ANEM has proposed to the prosecution to investigate the claims made in the report and to initiate criminal proceedings for the crime of Endangering Safety under Article 138 of the Criminal Code.

"Journalists who have reported in the past ten days on the death and burial of the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić, accurately and professionally presenting data on the final verdict for genocide and numerous other crimes committed throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, have received disturbing messages and threats as a result. It is absolutely unacceptable for state institutions to ignore the ruling of the International Court in The Hague, to engage in revisionism, to deny responsibility, and to tolerate aggression against all who respect final court rulings and the professional journalistic code."

The death and burial of the convicted war criminal, thanks to the leading politicians of this country and tabloid inciting media, have taken us back to the criminal July of 1995, which should never have happened. While criminals are once again being made into heroes, those who oppose this find themselves in their crosshairs.

At the burial and among those who threaten death and dismemberment, individuals have been noticed who have been attacking journalists, cameramen, photographers, and other media workers, activists, female and male students for the past twenty months, whose impunity enables daily calls for lynching, such as the latest threats directed at colleague Novičić.

Therefore, we call on representatives of the European Commission and the American Congress, as domestic institutions have done almost nothing for two years to stop this violence, to use their decisions to influence the authorities in Serbia to end the terror against professional journalists and media outlets that report objectively, as well as against all who criticize the denial of genocide by presenting facts proven in legal proceedings," stated Veran Matić, President of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media, member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and operator of the SOS line for reporting threats and attacks on journalists at 0800 100 115.

The project "Enhancing the System of Prevention and Response Mechanisms in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Life of 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 Helpline for Assistance to Journalists and Other Vulnerable Media Workers," as part of the project funded by the European Union "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Serbia."