ANEM alarm: "I will kill you, I will slit your throat" - unacceptable threats from SNS representatives to the journalist of SOinfo.org.

Members of the closest family, the father and brother of the president of the Commission for Granting Funds for Co-financing Projects under the LAP for Youth, Marko Leskovac, who are also high-ranking officials in the leadership of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party youth organization, uttered a series of insults and threats towards journalist Sava Majstorov of the SOinfo.org portal last night.

“After stopping in a free parking spot behind what was once a beverage store, and later I learned, the SNS youth headquarters, I was greeted from a café across the street with shouts from unknown individuals, asking where I was going and if I was going 'there,' pointing to the blockade taking place at the intersection of Apatinski Road. As I was getting out of my car, drawing on previous experiences, I politely replied that I was going there and that I was a journalist. A moment of inattention occurred, causing the door of my car to lean against the neighboring vehicle. This triggered an incredible reaction from the oldest member of the group in the café's garden,” Majstorov indicated.

According to the testimony of the journalist from Sombor, the insults ended with threats and phrases such as “I will kill you” and “I will slit your throat.” He reported the incident to the police officers present at the blockade, who took statements from all participants in the event throughout the evening.

“After everything, I have no doubt that these individuals knew who I was when I introduced myself as a journalist, because only the SOinfo.org portal in this territory monitors and reports from blockades, as well as all previous protests of dissatisfied citizens,” Sava Majstorov is convinced, having informed the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV) and the network of local commissioners for journalists' safety about the incident.

ANEM reminds that in recent months, threats, pressures, and physical attacks on journalists in Serbia have become increasingly frequent and are often a result of alarming messages and statements from the highest representatives of the government and ruling party. In situations of social crisis, government representatives must be mindful of sending incendiary messages to the public and be aware of the responsibility for every word spoken, especially if such speech can affect the worsening of safety for journalists and media, as well as any other actors in society and the state.

We urge the relevant authorities to respond promptly and adequately in such situations to protect media representatives and to sanction all those who threaten and attack journalists, regardless of their positions or political parties. We especially emphasize that in several recent cases, the police did not react to incidents experienced by journalists while performing their jobs in public spaces, which further encourages individuals and groups to behave unacceptably towards media representatives.

Vera Matić, President of the ANEM Management Board

The project "System for Preventing Violence and Protecting Journalists" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union and the Balkan Democracy Fund.