(The Lack of) Justice: 20 Years After Being Attacked by a Police Officer, the Journalist Still Pays Court Fees

Since then, nearly 20 years ago, Mitrić has had police protection, which is likely unprecedented in Europe. The perpetrator was sentenced to just six months in prison. In this case, there are four final judgments against the former police officer, but for the past decade and a half, he has successfully evaded fulfilling his obligations to the journalist.

During this time, Mitrić has had to regularly pay court fees to prevent the enforcement from expiring, as well as advance payments for proceedings that have so far been unsuccessful. According to his personal testimony regarding the costs of the trial and the pursuit of justice, Mitrić has spent at least 2 million dinars to date, meaning that the justice served against the perpetrator has cost him the equivalent of a two-year gross salary.

An enforcement attempt was made on July 9, but the executor found nothing more in the perpetrator's apartment than a television. Apparently, years of obstructing enforcement have helped the perpetrator conceal his assets in various ways.

“It is obvious that everything was prearranged, a show for me, and that this is a serious mockery of rights that has been going on for years,” claims Mitrić, who was present in front of the house during the failed enforcement.

“It is no wonder that even after nearly 20 years since the attack, I cannot live without police protection.”

Meanwhile, Vladimir Mitrić has received new threats again from the former police officer, which he reported to the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists. This case was resolved, and the perpetrator was finally convicted of endangering safety and insult, but the journalist still feels insecure due to the ongoing threats and the obstruction in the realization of justice.

“This is humiliation and a mockery of justice, which would not be possible without the support of those who should not be doing this. These are all remnants from the time when I was beaten twice and my property was demolished three times. Fortunately, the judiciary has now risen to the occasion, but the enforcement is not in their hands, but rather in the hands of public executors, some of whom are close to the debtor's neighbors,” states Mitrić. He adds that some who helped the debtor avoid obligations to him, as well as being lightly sentenced to just six months in prison in Loznica (which is probably enough time to return to work), have since been replaced or arrested for various criminal offenses. Nevertheless, he says, there are still those whose positions should not be underestimated, which is why he continues to go through such situations.

ANEM reminds that journalist Milan Jovanović from the Žig info portal is going through a similar situation, as his house was set on fire, for which the former president of the Grocka municipality, who has been sentenced to four years in prison, a member of the Ministry of Interior, and two other individuals have been convicted, but there has been no progress in the damage compensation proceedings.

Penalties for the perpetrators do not equate to justice for the victims.

ANEM calls on judicial authorities, the Ministry of Justice, and other relevant institutions to ensure the enforcement of justice, so that victims can receive effective compensation for legal costs, adequate and swiftly realized damage compensation, and to prevent secondary victimization in the process of achieving justice. The Chamber of Public Executors is particularly urged to supervise the work of the public executor responsible in the case of journalist Vladimir Mitrić and to determine, in accordance with the Rules on Supervision of Public Executors, whether there has been a violation of the Ethical Code of Public Executors and the Rules on Standards of Professional Conduct of Public Executors. The Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists will closely monitor the development of this case.

Veran Matić

President of the ANEM Board and Member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" 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 and the Balkan Fund for Democracy.