ANEM: Officially "cessation of need," unofficially a penalty for threats - Bojan Pitulić, former assistant to the president of Grocka, removed from his position.

On the night of September 12-13, 2026, the editor of Žig Info received a message from the Facebook account of the assistant to the president of the municipality, Bojan Pitulić, threatening him with physical violence, accompanied by the comment, "You found out who beat you and you continue to provoke my family and me."

Colleague Matorčević sustained severe bodily injuries in an attack in October 2018, while his colleague Milan Jovanović had his house set on fire in December of the same year. Due to incitement to the arson of Jovanović's house, former president of the municipality Grocka, Dragoljub Simonović, was sentenced to prison, but the assailant who attacked and assaulted Matorčević was never prosecuted. We fully reproduce the text from the Žig Info portal.

Former assistant to the president of the municipality Grocka, Bojan Pitulić, was relieved of his duties following threats directed at the editor of "Žig Info," although the official resolution states that the reason is "the cessation of need." We reveal details about the background of his dismissal, the reactions of journalistic associations, and his return to the Public Enterprise for Development.

After a series of scandalous threats directed at the editor of the "Žig Info" portal, Bojan Pitulić was relieved of his duties as the assistant to the president of the City Municipality of Grocka, responsible for communal affairs.

According to official documents provided in response to a Request for Access to Information of Public Importance, the president of the municipality, Aleksandar Rajković, issued a Resolution for his dismissal on August 20, 2026, and the decision officially took effect on August 21.

Although the official justification in the municipal act states that Pitulić is dismissed "due to the cessation of need for further engagement," according to unofficial information from the City Municipality of Grocka, the background of his dismissal is precisely his unacceptable and aggressive behavior toward journalists.

Sources from the local government indicate that President Aleksandar Rajković intended to dismiss him as early as the beginning of summer, specifically in June or July of this year, immediately after Pitulić sent the first scandalous and vulgar message to the editorial office. However, the formal dismissal and signing of the decision only occurred at the end of August.

Let us recall that the first threats made during the summer provoked a sharp reaction from the media community, including the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and the Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), which publicly condemned the pressures on the editor of "Žig Info" and demanded protection for journalists. However, even the official dismissal from the position did not stop the arrogant behavior of the former official. A new wave of threats was sent on September 13, 2026, via Facebook Messenger, continuing the direct harassment and pressure on our media outlet.

According to the official response from the Administration of the City Municipality of Grocka dated September 22, 2026, Pitulić held the position of assistant for communal affairs in two terms — first from July 18, 2024, to August 13, 2025, under President Dr. Saša Čaprić, and then from August 14, 2025, to August 21, 2026, during the term of Aleksandar Rajković.

After his dismissal from the position of assistant, Pitulić did not remain without engagement in the public sector. In a statement from the Public Enterprise for the Development of the City Municipality of Grocka, it is stated that based on the Resolution of Dismissal and Article 79, paragraph 2 of the Labor Law, Pitulić was returned to the position of "associate for general affairs." This change was confirmed by Annex III to the Employment Contract concluded on August 21, 2026, thereby allowing him to continue working in this public enterprise in the position he held before the suspension of the employment relationship, effective from August 22.

The case of Bojan Pitulić once again raises the question of the accountability of local officials and tolerance of threats directed at journalists. Although the municipal leadership attempted to mitigate the reasons for their assistant's departure through a bureaucratic formula of "cessation of need," it is clear that public pressure and the reactions of journalistic associations played a decisive role.

Source: Žig Info

ANEM appeals to all journalists and media representatives to regularly report any kind of security threat while performing their duties. A free phone number and direct line to ANEM is available to all journalists at 0800 100 115, where media representatives can receive explanations regarding the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures that need to be initiated to report security threats to the relevant institutions, police, and prosecutors.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "Improving the System Mechanism for Prevention and Response in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Life of Female and Male Journalists in Serbia" is implemented by ANEM with partners Insider TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.

The OSCE Mission in Serbia 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."