Impunity for attacks on journalists encourages attackers.

Although this attack has been assessed by the media community as a very dangerous practice, the prosecution in Stara Pazova has determined that no criminal offense or violation was committed on that occasion. The public was able to directly witness threats, brazen and ruthless behavior, insults, acts of violence, and the physical obstruction of journalist Verica Marinčić from performing her job, which is guaranteed to her by multiple laws as well as the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, through N1 and numerous portals.

The dismissal of this criminal complaint occurred one year after this unfortunate event. Delays and dismissals of complaints typically encourage the repetition of threats and violence, which regularly happens in the case of Verica Marinčić, as the perpetrator was punished only in one instance thanks to a confession and settlement with the prosecution.

Exactly one year after this unpunished attack, a new and, of course, very aggressive incident occurred: a member of the Serbian Radical Party during a protest march in Inđija referred to high school students and college students as Ustaše, and then directed the same insults towards journalist Verica Marinčić and her colleague Miodrag Blečić from the In Medija portal in Inđija. Verica was struck on the arm, causing her mobile phone, with which she was recording the event, to be knocked away. We witnessed a rare situation where a police officer present intervened in a timely manner, preventing the assailant from inflicting more serious injuries on the journalists. The assailant resisted and similarly insulted the police officer.

Due to the attack on an official, this case was processed with greater seriousness, resulting in the aforementioned assailant receiving a restraining order from the Basic Court in Stara Pazova against Verica Marinčić and Miodrag Blečić until the court proceedings are completed. Representatives of the Serbian Radical Party, of which the suspect in this case is a member, continued to repeat insults, slanders, and lies against Verica Marinčić through Informer TV, as well as via press releases, which will lead to complaints being filed with the relevant authorities.

In addition to the unpunished threats to the safety of journalists from In Medija, seven court proceedings were initiated against this editorial office over the past year, with two non-final judgments. Impunity exists in the domain of endangering safety and punishment related to SLAPP lawsuits – this is a formula that threatens and stifles freedom of speech.

ANEM commends the police's response in the latest case and expects it to be prosecuted effectively, with an appropriate punishment for the perpetrator, as well as for representatives of the Serbian Radical Party.

We remind you that over the past year, more female journalists have been attacked than male representatives of this profession, and a noticeable trend of increase is observed.

Unfortunately, we also note a trend of significant decline in final judgments against perpetrators who have endangered media workers.

The rise in unpunished cases is concerning and demands greater commitment from representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and prosecutors in defending freedom of speech and protecting professional female and male journalists.

Links available are:

(VIDEO) Security of the Municipality of Inđija expelled the journalist from the building

(VIDEO) Man attacked and insulted journalists in Inđija

https://www.bezbedninovinari.rs/article/722/snaga-u-ranjivosti-zasto-je-terapija-neophodna-za-novinare - authored text by Verica Marinčić

Veran Matić, President of the ANEM Management Board and member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists