Journalistic and media associations: The list from the Center for Social Stability fuels the atmosphere of lynching against journalists.
Journalistic and media associations are concerned about the ongoing campaign against journalists from professional and critical media, which involves the creation and publication of lists on social media by the Center for Social Stability and the announcement of the continuation of the series "Evil Era" directed by this organization.
The Center for Social Stability has published a list of 45 names along with the accompanying text “Documentary Film The Age of Evil, in the upcoming episodes you will see,” announcing that a “special” segment about Veran Matić will be aired at the end, lasting 90 minutes.
As a reminder, two weeks ago, television channels Prva, B92, Informer, and Dokumentarna TV, which is unregistered and lacks a broadcasting license, aired an alleged documentary film from this center titled “The Age of Evil 2,” dedicated to Veran Matić, the president of the Management Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists.
Matić is portrayed in the film as a state enemy and foreign mercenary, which has been condemned by numerous domestic and international organizations as an unacceptable targeting that jeopardizes his physical safety. The campaign has continued through articles that feature excerpts from this film, published on more than 30 pro-government portals.
The new wave of this campaign, which publishes a list of names to be addressed in the upcoming episodes of the series, represents a new and even more brutal depiction of a target, further inflaming the already heated and dangerous atmosphere of lynching against anyone who criticizes the ruling structures. The list of 45 names includes individuals whose safety has already been compromised, as they have been targeted multiple times in still unresolved cases. The public disclosure of their names poses a new threat and further endangers their safety.
Associations are calling on the highest state officials to urgently condemn the airing of this content and to clearly state that any targeting of journalists, media, and civil society organizations is unacceptable. It is their obligation. Relativizing and tolerating campaigns that incite pressure and jeopardize safety through falsehoods, insinuations, and labels is unacceptable, as it seeks to discourage any work in the public interest.
As a reminder, journalistic and media associations, members of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, have filed a criminal complaint due to the endangerment of Veran Matić's safety. The complaint states that the airing of an episode of the alleged documentary series “The Age of Evil 2: The Creation of Propaganda,” produced by the association “Center for Social Stability” from Novi Sad, as well as the campaign conducted for propaganda purposes on social media and newly registered websites, where the editor-in-chief and publisher are the same – has endangered Matić's safety.
Additionally, a request for a temporary injunction against the airing of this film has been submitted to the court, along with a lawsuit against the author of this piece, and complaints to the Press Council against all written media that transmitted parts of the disputed video material. The use of all legally prescribed measures in response to human rights violations and the deliberate targeting of professional journalists will continue in the event of the airing of similar content.
Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM)
Coalition for Media Freedom – Media Association, Association of Online Media (AOM), Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS), Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Local Press,” Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, and the Branch Trade Union of Culture, Arts, and Media “Independence”
Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS)
