Maja Sever (EFJ): What is happening to Veran Matić is a message to every citizen in Serbia (VIDEO)
The President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Maja Sever, assessed that the film about Veran Matić and the recent events are not dangerous, but rather that she genuinely admires Matić for managing to stay on his feet.
"After everything you have gone through and what you experienced during that regime, six years of police protection, threats, and everything else, to relive it all again because you dedicated yourself to helping other people—so you are no longer engaged in journalism, but rather helping others—that is the message, my friends, not just to Veran Matić, but a message to each of us who are in, beside, or behind the cameras in this studio. Unfortunately, that is also a message to all the citizens of your country," Sever commented during a program on Nova S television.
She recalled when, a few years ago, after she had already become the president of the European Federation of Journalists, she came to Belgrade where Matić organized a meeting.
"We met then; Veran gathered... I came, another colleague came, and he brought together representatives from various editorial offices, local and national, people who were, in one way or another, under some kind of attack or pressure. I think you told me at that time that, after a long while, you had actually gathered so many people, such a diverse group from all sides in one place. We listened to their testimonies for almost hours; Veran knew the details of almost every case. He knew what was happening in a small town in southern Serbia, what was happening in Novi Sad, with certain journalists from local media, and for me, that was an extremely important meeting," said the president of the EFJ.
She added that Veran Matić bothers them because he genuinely wants to defend people's right to do their journalistic work, as well as the right of citizens of Serbia to access information.
"Veran knows what is happening in every village, in every small local media outlet, and he doesn't hesitate to attend trials, spending three days if necessary at a trial, then recounting to me as if I know and understand everything, while in reality, I cannot process all that knowledge he possesses. Veran is always on the phone and always available to people who have been attacked," Sever emphasized.
Source: Nova S / YouTube
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