Journalists Against Violence condemn the behavior of the editor-in-chief of Informer regarding revenge pornography.
The group Journalists Against Violence Against Women strongly condemns the public display and commentary on intimate photographs of Faculty of Political Sciences student Nikolina Sinđelić during a live broadcast on TV Informer by the editor-in-chief and responsible editor Dragan J. Vučićević. This act constitutes a serious violation of the rights to privacy, dignity, and protection from secondary victimization, and is in direct contradiction not only to the professional code but also to the provisions of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia.
We remind you that the public display and commentary on intimate photographs without the consent of the individual is prohibited by law through:
Unauthorized Photography (Article 144):
Anyone who unlawfully takes a photographic, film, video, or other recording of an individual and thereby significantly intrudes into their personal life, or who delivers or shows such a recording to a third party, or otherwise enables them to become acquainted with it, shall be punished by a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.
Unauthorized Publication and Display of Another's Document, Portrait, and Recording (Article 145):
Anyone who publishes or displays a document, portrait, photograph, film, or sound recording of a personal nature without the consent of the individual who created the document or to whom the document pertains, or without the consent of the individual depicted in the portrait, photograph, or film, or whose voice is recorded on the sound recording, or without the consent of another individual whose consent is required by law and thereby significantly intrudes into that individual’s personal life, shall be punished by a fine or imprisonment of up to two years.
We also remind you that student Nikolina Sinđelić previously testified about police violence during the protests on August 14, when, according to her claims, the commander of the Special Protection Unit, Marko Kričak, threatened her with rape, hit her, and slapped her. After she spoke publicly about this, intimate photographs of her began circulating on social media, which constitutes a form of so-called revenge pornography, or unauthorized sharing of intimate content. The public display of these photographs in a live program represents an additional form of digital and gender-based violence.
We call on all media to respect basic ethical standards and to cease further dissemination of content that retraumatizes victims and deepens the consequences of violence. Prolonged exposure to threats, humiliation, and abuse of privacy has serious repercussions for mental health.
We expect institutions to protect the dignity and rights of Nikolina Sinđelić, as well as to demonstrate that the rule of law protects all citizens from such forms of violence.
Group "Journalists Against Violence Against Women"
