ANEM ALARM: Freelance journalist and photo reporter Marko Dragoslavić is once again under threat due to his reporting on illegal construction.

Dragoslavić stated to the police that after noticing and recording a new construction site on Hajduk Stankova Street in Belgrade, near the Construction School, he determined that no permit had been issued for it and reported the case to the police.

“The patrol arrived within five minutes, found workers and the property owner with whom they had a conversation. After the conversation, I approached and asked them where their permit for this was, and at that moment the owner addressed me with the words: 'I will kill you, I will run you over with my car wherever I see you.' This all happened in the presence of the police officers, who immediately reacted, told him to stop with the threats, and directed me to the police station to file a report,” Dragoslavić stated.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) calls on the relevant authorities to promptly prosecute the perpetrator who has already been detained and to ensure protection for journalist and photo reporter Dragoslavić, whose safety is endangered as he has been physically attacked multiple times recently and has received threats due to his work, particularly for reporting on illegal constructions.

“The task of journalists and media is precisely to perform a watchdog role in all social spheres and to alert government representatives to all potential illegal activities and suspicions of corruption. Therefore, the relevant authorities are obliged not only to react based on media reports but also to protect media representatives who expose themselves to risks regarding their safety for stories and topics of public interest. At the same time, all perpetrators who hinder media workers in their jobs or endanger their safety must be appropriately sanctioned,” stated Veran Matić, Chairman of the ANEM Board, member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and operator on the Safe Line for Journalists 0800 100 115.

ANEM appeals to all journalists and media representatives to regularly report any type of threat to their safety while performing their jobs. A free phone number and direct ANEM hotline 0800 100 115 is available to all journalists, where media representatives can get explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures that should be initiated to report threats to their safety 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 Life of Journalists in Serbia” is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder 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 Vulnerable Media Workers” as part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia.”