ANEM: Personal data of journalists and "blockers" in Čačak has been made public.

Among the individuals on the list is journalist Milena Gavrilović from the Epicentar Press portal, who states that no one has contacted her, despite her neighbor being listed as a contact person, who she claims is an active member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). “The list includes directors of public enterprises and companies, members of the City Council, assistants to the mayor, employees of the Center for Social Work (CSR), as well as individuals labeled as ‘capillaries’ and ‘main bosses’,” explains Gavrilović in a conversation with ANEM.

Among those identified as “blockers” are primarily students, educators, as well as citizens who have recently acquired voting rights, opposition representatives, activists, and journalists. In the section labeled “VDV status,” next to citizens' names, there are designations such as “secure,” “member,” “undecided,” “not voting,” and “against.”

“This is a huge scandal. No one has contacted me, and my data has been misused. The only thing missing from my information is my phone number, but since I am a journalist, most people can easily obtain my phone number, so that was not a barrier. An individual who allegedly contacted me is listed, a man from my neighborhood who is an active member of the SNS, whom I have neither seen nor called me. Entire families are on this list, and it states that they expressed their opposition in the same minute and second, which is simply impossible. People in Čačak are being targeted, feeling both angry and scared. Many will seek institutional protection,” says Gavrilović.

It is worth noting that a similar case was recorded after the local elections in Zaječar in June of last year, when opposition representatives announced that they found a bag with voter lists in a dumpster, which they claimed had been discarded by an SNS official. Criminal charges were also filed, but according to journalist Miljko Stojanović from Glas Zaječara, the prosecution in Niš dismissed the complaint. Stojanović stated that this list “resembled a modified voter list,” and that it included him and his friends, believing that it was an obvious abuse of the voter list for their needs. Stojanović also pointed to significant vote buying, stating that votes were being sold for as much as 3,000 dinars, along with various packages and goods. He found a special list of “secure votes” that recorded who received what and from whom, ranging from white goods to food packages.

ANEM warns that the publication and sharing of such lists raise serious questions about the unlawful collection, processing, and use of citizens' personal data, as well as their political profiling. It is particularly concerning that among those labeled as “blockers” are journalists and citizens who have just acquired voting rights. ANEM demands that the relevant institutions urgently determine who compiled these lists, from which sources personal data was obtained, who processed and shared them, as well as whether databases held by public institutions were used in this process. It is essential to establish the responsibility of individuals who may have participated in their creation and distribution.

We especially emphasize that the recording of journalists based on presumed political views or whether they support a particular electoral list can represent an additional form of pressure and intimidation against journalists and have serious effects on their work. ANEM calls on the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection, the relevant prosecution, and other institutions to investigate this case without delay, determine the origin of the data, and take measures within their jurisdiction.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)