In the past nearly year, there have been no serious reactions to this text, even though it presented information that should concern every citizen of this country, especially the relevant institutions, which were obligated to investigate the claims and initiate mechanisms to determine accountability for the shortcomings, as well as to normalize the operations of EMS. There was no public disturbance, let alone panic or riots.

Instead of informing the public about how the problems described in the text have been resolved, EMS decided to file a criminal complaint for something that did not happen — for "causing panic and riots" — against Vuk Cvijić, director Mihailo Jovićević, and editor Vesna Mališić. Since it is clear that there is no criminal act, the only motive for filing this complaint is to intensify repression against professional journalists and the media, creating a basis for arrests (as was recently, completely unjustifiably, the case with Dejan Ilić for the same act).

This represents yet another dimension of the threat to the freedom of journalists and the media. Vuk Cvijić is one of the most awarded investigative journalists, who, due to his professional work, is constantly subjected to demonization and targeting by representatives of the authorities and tabloids, along with numerous death threats and violence. In addition to verbal attacks, he has also been subjected to physical violence — he was assaulted by the director of the tabloid Srpski telegraf, who punched him in the center of the city. Although the attack was recorded by cameras from surrounding buildings, the police investigation lasted more than six months, during which time a campaign against Cvijić was conducted in the tabloids. When it was finally established that he had been attacked, the prosecution refused to take action, as did the higher instance. Not only was he physically attacked, but he was left completely unprotected by the judicial system.

He was subsequently attacked by the police during a violent intervention by the gendarmerie on July 3 of this year at a peaceful gathering in front of the Faculty of Law, when he was hit multiple times with a shield and pushed away, preventing him from performing his journalistic duties. A criminal complaint was filed against the police officer, but with no results. The next attack occurred on August 18 when the situation was calm on Kneza Miloša Street. A police officer in riot gear approached him and sprayed him directly with a chemical agent, causing him to be completely blind for more than an hour until he received medical assistance.

"The organized, comprehensive repression against Vuk Cvijić — from attacks by representatives of the authorities, through campaigns in tabloids and on social media, physical assaults on the street, to violence by police officers and the impunity of all these cases — along with the abuse of the right to file lawsuits and trials with elements of SLAPP, with uncertain outcomes and threatened prison sentences, represents an example of multiple repression that involves leading politicians, directors of public enterprises, tycoons, tabloid editors, and their 'bots.' Practically, journalists and newsrooms have been left without institutional protection. Freedom of speech is institutionally threatened, as is the safety of journalists. Therefore, we need strong solidarity among journalists and the media, as well as non-governmental organizations and citizens, to protect professional reporting, investigative journalism, and free media," stated Veran Matić, President of the Management Board of ANEM and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with support from the European Union and the Balkan Fund for Democracy.