ANEM ALARM: Increasing attacks on media workers in Negotin, the Minister of Interior should resign.

Photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić, who covered the local elections in Negotin, told the Mašina portal that a masked individual on an ATV confiscated his phone, while another person pushed him after he chased after them.

“A group of citizens chased after that group on ATVs, and then a team from the SNS (Serbian Progressive Party) came out of their premises and began to beat people. The police arrived later, but they refused for a long time to respond to my request that my phone had been taken. Several citizens pleaded with them, showing videos; we told them that we knew where the phone was located because I had the location, in other words, we had proof, but they used excuses like – there are others who will handle that, I don’t have a notepad, and so on. After the group from the SNS dispersed, two plainclothes inspectors, who were courteous and polite, accompanied me to the location where the phone was tracked, and we found it thrown on the parking lot. Before that, everything was unprofessional regarding the police's actions,” explained Andrić.

This is the sixth attack on one of the best photojournalists, a great professional who, while doing his job, ensures that he does not disturb anyone. He has been unjustly detained, identified, the police have obstructed him, and physically prevented him from working, and he has received death threats. Despite reports, the police and prosecutors have not reacted so far, encouraging the perpetrators through inaction and complicity.

ANEM calls on representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct an internal review regarding the inadequate actions of the police during the obstruction of the photojournalist's work and the theft of his phone, as well as to identify the individuals responsible so this case does not go unpunished.

This is not the first case of police inaction at the scene in cases of attacks on media workers and citizens, where they fail to identify perpetrators, do not make official notes, nor approach suspicious groups that are evidently connected to the ruling regime, which disturb public order and peace.

ANEM publicly questions the Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dačić and other police officials whether there is an order not to react in cases where groups dressed in black, with hoods or caps, carry out violence in public spaces, or whether they fear enforcing the law in certain cases, whether such actions are justified, and whether their task is to protect citizens and journalists in the performance of their duties or to protect groups in the commission of criminal acts.

Considering that this is not the first or only case of this kind, and given that we have several dozen examples where members of the police have physically attacked female journalists, male journalists, and citizens, without any response or resolution of the cases, we call on the Minister of Internal Affairs and police officials to immediately resign as they no longer have control over that service. Otherwise, we appeal to the Prime Minister of Serbia Đura Macut, as the person with the highest executive authority in the country, to raise the issue of accountability in this sector and to reconsider personnel decisions within the ranks of ministers.

ANEM also calls on journalists, both male and female, and media representatives to regularly report any form of endangerment to their safety while performing their work. All journalists have access to a toll-free phone number and a direct line to ANEM at 0800 100 115, where media representatives can receive explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the actions that should be initiated to report safety endangerment to the relevant institutions, police, and prosecution.

Veran Matić, President of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and operator of the Safe Line for journalists and media workers

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 to Serbia has supported ANEM's project “24/7 SOS Hotline for Journalists and Other Endangered Media Workers,” as part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Serbia.”