NUNS: Urgently identify and prosecute the individual threatening N1 journalists.
The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) strongly condemns the new threats directed at the editorial office of television N1, which were sent again yesterday, this time from a single IP address, using multiple fake accounts that, according to all indications, are operated by the same individual.
In messages signed as "Strahinja KV," "Veljko," and "Bogdan," horrifying threats have been made to burn the editorial office and kill journalists from N1. The messages state: "Brother Vučko, let's just burn the entire NDH 1, and Serbia will be peaceful for a long time. It has to be this way... We are just waiting for permission."
It is particularly concerning that one message directly targets a female journalist with the intent to burn and rape her, as well as messages that use the terms "terrorists" and "Ustaše," which is a narrative that has been emerging from the highest state positions in recent months.
The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS) has reported all threats to the Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime, along with the IP address from which they were sent, and demands an urgent response from the authorities. Since it is evidently the work of a single individual, the case must be quickly clarified, and the responsible person must be identified and questioned regarding their motives.
We remind that the authorities in Serbia, despite repeated appeals from the domestic and international public, continue to target independent media and label journalists as instigators of "colored revolutions" and collaborators with "terrorists." Such rhetoric directly incites these brutal threats and endangers journalists' safety.
The European Union has already warned against such practices – European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercié stated a month ago that the EU is concerned about the increasing pressure on journalists in Serbia and expects an urgent response from the authorities. Serbia is, as emphasized, obligated to ensure an effective judicial process and bring the perpetrators to justice.
We call on the relevant institutions to resist pressures and protect journalists, and especially for the prosecutor's office to react without delay. NUNS will inform international organizations and institutions that deal with media freedom and journalists' safety about the latest threats.
Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia (NUNS)
