NUNS submitted a complaint to the Internal Control of the Ministry of Interior due to the police's failure to respond to the attack on the N1 team.

The complaint indicates that the police officers acted contrary to the agreements signed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs itself: the Agreement on Cooperation between the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated April 1, 2016, and the Agreement on Cooperation between the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and journalistic and media associations dated December 26, 2016.

The complaint is submitted, as stated by NUNS, to highlight the fact that the illegal actions of the police officers have led to violations of human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, thereby causing harm to the complainant.

NUNS emphasizes that the following provisions have been violated:

• Dignity of the person (Article 23 of the Constitution)
• Inviolability of physical and psychological integrity (Article 25 of the Constitution)
• Right to liberty and security (Article 27 of the Constitution)
• Freedom of movement (Article 39 of the Constitution)
• Freedom of thought and expression (Article 46 of the Constitution)
• Freedom of assembly (Article 54 of the Constitution)
• Right to work (Article 60 of the Constitution)

It is also added that the actions taken by the police officers represent a serious violation of official duty under Article 207, paragraph 1, points 3, 4, 7, and 16 of the Law on Police, which include: unlawful application of police powers and abuse of police officer status, issuing and/or executing an unlawful order, behavior that harms the reputation of the Ministry, unlawful, negligent, careless work, or failure to act for which the employee is authorized, which caused or could cause damage or illegality in work.

The actions of the police officers, as indicated, also represent a minor violation of official duty under Article 206, paragraph 1, point 2 of the Law on Police, i.e., unprofessional conduct towards citizens or employees during work.

"We believe that such conduct by police officers and members of the intervention unit is absolutely unacceptable and in direct violation of the law. The described manner of acting, failure to act in the case of an attack on a journalist, refusal to accept a report, as well as the actions of the members of the intervention unit, who did not secure the scene of the attack and the evidence, as well as inadequate actions, represent a gross violation of regulations governing police powers, as well as potentially other laws that sanction unlawful acts," NUNS emphasizes.

The fact that police officers, as added in the complaint, did not respond despite repeated requests to act and protect from the attackers deeply affected the journalist's sense of security.

"Additionally, the feeling of insecurity was influenced by the fact that police officers did not want to accept a report of the attack, as well as the inadequate conduct upon the arrival of the intervention unit. The behavior of the police officers throughout the entire event was unprofessional," warns NUNS.

Such actions by police officers, as highlighted, indicate inappropriate behavior and conduct that is not in accordance with legal powers.

In light of all the above, it is necessary to investigate whether there have been any abuses of power and unlawful actions by police officers, as well as potentially elements of a criminal offense, it is stated in the NUNS complaint.

Recall, Maja Nikolić and Ivan Pavlović were attacked on November 20 while on duty. As emphasized in the NUNS complaint, they did not provoke anyone, did not behave violently, nor disturbed public order and peace, but were peacefully creating a report to inform citizens about an event of public interest.

A man who emerged from the so-called Ćacilend then attacked the N1 crew and broke the camera and tripod. The person who executed the attack was recorded and the footage was immediately publicly released, with subsequent media reports identifying him as Vladan Sretenović, who had spent 15 years in prison for murder.

The police, who were nearby, did not react to the incident but only approached upon the journalist's request.

The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade instructed the police immediately after the attack to urgently establish the identity of the attacker and collect all relevant footage and evidence, but to date, there has been no response.

Although nearly a month has passed since the attack, the attacker has not yet been arrested. Police Director Dragan Vasiljević recently stated that the person who attacked the N1 crew has been identified and that the Police Administration for Belgrade has issued a search for him.

Source: N1