Jan Bratu (OSCE): I call on the prosecution to ensure the safety of Veran Matić.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Jan Bratu, stated that he is deeply disturbed that "the campaign of threats and intimidation against prominent Serbian journalist and media freedom advocate Veran Matić continues."
As stated in a social media announcement, the recent post on the X account of the Center for Social Stability can be understood, at the very least, as intimidation, and in the worst case, as a direct threat to Matic.
“I call on the Prosecutor's Office of Serbia to conduct an investigation promptly and for the authorities to ensure the safety of Mr. Matic. The participating states of the OSCE have taken clear commitments to protect journalists and provide a safe working environment. Differences in political opinions can never justify intimidation and threats of violence,” wrote Bratu.
As a reminder, the post from the Center for Social Stability on social media states: “If any of you see Veran Matic in the next month or two, tell him he is not the only (pseudo) journalist who has grown a beard and to be a little more patient, the continuation is coming soon…”
The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) today stated that it is particularly concerning that this message obviously invokes the infamous statement made by Tomislav Nikolić in 2003, uttered just before the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić. At the same time, as they added, the reference to the beard further opens a chilling reference to the murdered journalist Slavko Ćuruvija.
NUNS warned that such messages create an atmosphere of fear, incite violence, and directly threaten the safety of journalists, demanding that the prosecutor's office respond without delay and hold those responsible accountable.
Source: ANEM
