NUNS and ANEM: The Nikolić–Nešović case must reach a conclusion; impunity encourages new attacks.
The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) and the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) condemn the incident that occurred yesterday in Čačak, when, as claimed by Nenad Nešović, editor of the Čačak portal N2, he was shoulder-checked by journalist Gvozden Nikolić, owner of the portal Glas Zapadne Srbije. Nešović reported this case to the police, and Nikolić today denied in the media that the incident took place. We expect the prosecution to act in accordance with the law and establish all the circumstances of this event.
Nešović stated to NUNS that he was monitoring the gathering in Čačak and that at the moment he encountered Nikolić, he was heading to another location.
“I went in mid-August because the street was closed to traffic, and when he saw me, he moved to the middle and came straight towards me. When he reached me, he hit me with his left shoulder. At that moment, his son said, 'Is this the one who sued us, so I remember him' and they continued on their way. After I finished reporting, I went to the police in the evening and filed a report, after which I went to the emergency room. They referred me to orthopedics where it was determined that I had a contusion of the left shoulder,” Nešović stated.
Gvozden Nikolić denied that the incident occurred. In a response to the media, he stated that he does not know Nešović and has never met him.
However, Nešović claims that Nikolić's statements are not true, that there were witnesses who attended the incident, and that there is ample evidence of public targeting of him by the owner of Glasa zapadne Srbije.
NUNS and ANEM remind that this is not the first case of a journalist being attacked by another media worker. In late May last year, co-owner of Srpski telegraf Milan Lađević punched Vuk Cvijić, which Lađević denied. However, after delays in the proceedings, the prosecution ultimately determined that Lađević had hit and pushed Cvijić. Nevertheless, this attack remained unpunished.
We believe that the impunity of attacks on journalists inspires and encourages new assaults.
Therefore, NUNS and ANEM call on the prosecution to upon receipt of the report undertake urgent actions within its jurisdiction regarding the case: to take statements from the victim and witnesses, obtain medical documentation and footage (public cameras, media material, civilian recordings), and prioritize the case considering that the victim was a journalist on duty.
Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia
Association of Independent Electronic Media
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