ANEM ALARM: Continuation of violence threats against the editorial office of Radar

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) warns that this is a continuous campaign of threats, attacks, and intimidation against the editorial staff of Radar. Furthermore, three days ago, direct threats of death and sexual violence were directed at journalists Vuk Cvijić and Milan Radonjić, as well as their children. 

ANEM strongly condemns the direct threats of violence directed at the editorial staff of Radar in a comment on the article “Bait for Elections in Serbia” by Jelena Petković, which addresses the activities of the Russian propaganda group Ribar, whose founder was recently expelled from Montenegro and previously resided in Belgrade and Banja Luka. ANEM warns that this is a continuous campaign of threats, attacks, and intimidation against the editorial staff of Radar, and that three days ago, direct threats of death and sexual violence were directed at journalists Vuk Cvijić and Milan Radonjić, as well as their children. 

Considering that the weekly Radar promptly and regularly reported all threats to the competent prosecutor's office, ANEM demands an urgent response from both prosecutors and the police, the identification of the individuals behind the threats, and the implementation of all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the journalists and editors of Radar, as well as their family members. 

We remind you that Branko Stamenković, a public prosecutor at the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, sent an urgent letter to the relevant prosecutor's offices requesting readiness or duty on the day of the elections. ANEM particularly emphasizes that chief public prosecutors and public prosecutors, according to the urgent letter from Public Prosecutor Stamenković, are obliged to apply General Mandatory Instruction 10/20 without exception, which relates to urgent actions and procedures in cases threatening the safety of journalists. 

It is essential that the relevant institutions take the new threats against the journalists of Radar extremely seriously and urgently implement measures to ensure their safety. ANEM expresses full solidarity with the editorial staff of Radar and expects the relevant institutions to act urgently and effectively in this case, so that journalists can perform their work freely and without fear. 

Association of Independent Electronic Media ANEM 

The project “Improvement of the System Mechanism for Prevention and Response in Cases of Threats to the Safety and Life of Female and Male Journalists in Serbia” is being implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.