NUNS: The murder of Milan Pantić – the silence that has lasted for decades must be broken.

Milan Pantić was killed on June 11, 2001, in Jagodina, at the entrance of the building where he lived with his family. He was struck three times in the head with a solid object from behind.

In the lead-up to his murder, he wrote extensively about economic crime, particularly regarding the privatization of the Jagodina Brewery and the Cement Plant in Popovac, which is considered a motive for his killing.

According to information reported by the media, in 2022, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Jagodina submitted the case for further action to the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (TOK) in Belgrade. Two years later, it was returned to Jagodina with the justification that TOK was not competent because "there is currently no evidence that this involves the actions of an organized criminal group," and that the investigation against an unknown perpetrator in the case is still ongoing, under the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Jagodina.

The President of the Commission for Investigating the Murders of Journalists, Veran Matić, disclosed in 2021 that “there are names of the individuals who committed the murder” and that the police had clarified the case, but it is difficult to prove because the “crime scene” that day, when the murder occurred, was poorly processed and contaminated.

The murder of Milan Pantić is one of three unresolved murders of journalists in Serbia, alongside the murders of Slavko Ćuruvija and Radislava Dada Vujsinović.

The murder of Slavko Ćuruvija received a court resolution; however, no one has been held accountable, while in the case of Dada Vujsinović's murder, absolute statute of limitations has occurred.

The Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia fears that the same outcome will occur in the case of Milan Pantić's murder, as the current course of the investigation indicates a lack of will to resolve this case.

The murders of three journalists in Serbia, despite promises from political authorities and pressure from domestic and international public opinion, remain a symbol of impunity and the erosion of the rule of law.

Impunity sends a dangerous message—that crimes against journalists can be tolerated and forgotten. This state not only threatens media freedom but also discourages journalists from investigating corruption, crime, and abuse of power. Without decisive political will, an independent judiciary, and institutional accountability, these cases will remain a scar on the conscience of society.

Therefore, we call on the relevant authorities, primarily the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Jagodina, to conduct a comprehensive investigation and find the murderers of Milan Pantić, who continue to move freely.

Independent Journalists' Association of Serbia