ANEM: Suspect apprehended for the attack on Insider journalist Nataša Mijušković in “Ćacilend”

In addition to the "recognition" of the suspect as the perpetrator of the crime, Nataša Mijušković will give a statement before the prosecutor as a victim, and the suspect will also be questioned, after which a decision will be made regarding the next steps in this procedure.

Let us remind you that journalist Nataša Mijušković entered the space in front of the Assembly on November 2, showing her press credentials to the police officers present. After taking several photographs and a short video, she was surrounded by a group of men in civilian clothes who refused to identify themselves and obstructed her work while behaving violently.

They grabbed her by the arm, demanding to review the photographs she had taken and to delete them "so they wouldn't break all her bones." In addition, they insulted her with remarks such as "how does it feel to be a traitor of the Serbian people working for Insider TV." When she reached the police cordon, when asked if this was an occupied territory from which journalists could not report, she was told to call 192.

This case was immediately reported to the competent prosecutor at the First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office, who reacted very quickly and requested the identification and detention of the assailants.

Several days later, the editorial board of KRIK (the Network for Investigating Crime and Corruption) published a database called "Ćacii – Guardians of the Party" about individuals with criminal records who are often seen in this area. Nataša Mijušković recognized in this useful database J.P. - the assailant who threatened her, and she conveyed this information to the competent prosecutor.

ANEM commends the actions of the competent prosecutor and the mechanism of contact points established around the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, which assists in the efficiency of investigations into attacks on journalists.

Recognition is also deserved by the editorial board of KRIK, whose database "Residents of Ćacilenda," published on September 5, has so far identified two suspects who attacked journalists (the second was identified as Vladan Sretenović, who attacked the N1 team in front of the Assembly and broke their camera during the incident). The database also includes several other assailants who have been frequently seen in threatening and violent situations, such as Vladimir Mandić.

According to data from this database, J.P. "has repeatedly threatened citizens at protests." In one police report, he told the gathered crowd - "I would put you all in live acid. I was sent to hang you." When asked how he envisions resolving the situation in the country, he stated in an interview for the "Without Censorship" program: "We resolve it in 24 hours. It is known how, beating, stripping naked, and locking in a cell."

“We offer our full support to journalist Nataša Mijušković and the editorial board of Insider, whose journalists are frequently attacked and obstructed in their work without effective sanctioning. We also commend the competent prosecutor for acting professionally and dedicatedly in this case so far. Journalistic solidarity can often be very significant, as exemplified by the investigative work of the KRIK editorial team in this instance. We believe that the sanctioning of the suspect in the judicial process will send a clear message that the obstruction of journalists performing the extremely responsible task of informing the public will not be tolerated, and that threats and violence are unacceptable,” stated Veran Matić, President of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and a 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 Insider 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.

The OSCE Mission in Serbia has supported ANEM's project "24/7 SOS Hotline for Assistance to Journalists and Other Threatened Media Workers," as part of the EU-funded project "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia."