ANEM: Acquitted after two guilty verdicts – encouragement and incentive for attacks on female and male journalists.

The initial ruling of the Basic Court in Šabac was annulled by the Higher Court in Šabac, which overturned the judgment and returned the case for retrial.

The panel of the second-instance court in Šabac had previously annulled the judgment and ordered a retrial. The trial was repeated on June 20 but was interrupted for technical reasons and resumed on July 2, to review a recording that could not be examined during the previous hearing, which shows Filipović pasting posters. At that time, the Basic Court again sentenced Filipović to two years in prison.

This criminal act was committed in 2021. Initially, the police were unable to locate the perpetrator, even though he was serving a five-year prison sentence for the criminal offenses of production, carrying, possession, and trade of weapons and explosive materials, as well as for the criminal offense of unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs. No accomplices or masterminds were identified.

“The acquittal in this case is disturbing for all those on the wanted list, i.e., the victims of persecution. Journalist Isidora Kovačević has received numerous threats so far, for which no perpetrator has been punished. In the past two years, out of more than 150 criminal cases filed in prosecutors' offices regarding offenses against journalists, only two cases have concluded with convictions, which sends an encouraging message to everyone that they can harass, threaten, and attack journalists with impunity,” stated Veran Matić, president of the Management Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.

ANEM calls on the relevant state authorities, primarily the police and the prosecution, to more effectively investigate and prosecute attacks on journalists, threats, and harassment, to stop the violence perpetrated by members of the ruling party's security, as well as police violence against female and male journalists on duty.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and the 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.