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 to 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 violence along with the comment, "You found out who beat you and you continue to provoke my family and me."

Colleague Matorčević sustained serious 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 Grocka municipality, Dragoljub Simonović, was sentenced to prison, but the assailant who attacked and assaulted Matorčević was never prosecuted. We are transmitting the text from the Žig Info portal in full.

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

Following a series of scandalous threats directed at the editor of the "Žig Info" portal, Bojan Pitulić was dismissed from his position as the assistant to the president of the Grocka City Municipality responsible for the communal area.

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

Although the official explanation in the municipal act states that Pitulić was dismissed "due to the cessation of need for further engagement," unofficial sources from the Grocka City Municipality indicate that the background of the dismissal was precisely his unacceptable and aggressive behavior towards 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 team. However, the formal dismissal and signing of the decision only occurred at the end of August.

As a reminder, the first threats made during the summer provoked a strong 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 issued 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 Grocka City Municipality dated September 22, 2026, Pitulić served as the assistant for the communal area for 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 Aleksandar Rajković's term.

After his removal from the assistant position, Pitulić did not remain without engagement in the public sector. In a statement from the Public Company for the Development of the Grocka City Municipality, it is stated that based on the Resolution on his 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, allowing him to continue working in this public company in the position he held before the suspension of his employment.

The case of Bojan Pitulić once again raises the question of the accountability of local officials and tolerance towards 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 reactions from journalistic associations played a decisive role.

Source: Žig Info

ANEM appeals to all journalists and media representatives to regularly report any kind of threat to their safety while performing their work. All journalists have access to a toll-free telephone number and the direct line of ANEM at 0800 100 115, where media representatives can receive explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures to follow in order to report threats to the relevant institutions, police, and prosecution.

Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)

The project "Improving the Prevention and Response Mechanism in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Life of Journalists in Serbia" 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.

The OSCE Mission in Serbia 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."