Threats, Attacks, and Lawsuits: Meeting of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists in Inđija

At the first meeting of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists this year, he emphasized that the discussion is taking place in the IN Media newsroom in Inđija as a sign of solidarity due to the persecution of that media for various reasons.

"Your determination is exceptional. It is very important to defend your integrity, including through lawsuits. This is an excellent path, even though it takes time and the financial compensation is not significant. You are a good example. It is not good to get accustomed to abnormality, but it is crucial to establish mechanisms as a preventive measure," Matić stated at the meeting organized by ANEM and the OSCE Mission in Serbia.

According to him, he sends all reports of attacks he receives simultaneously to the prosecution and the police. “I commend the prosecution for promptly inviting all those affected within 48 hours in 18 cases,” Matić noted. Last year, only three attacks on journalists resulted in court rulings. The attack on Verica Marinčić and Miodrag Blečić was prevented by a swift police intervention, and through the efficient work of the prosecution and the court – the attacker was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for three years, along with a ban on approaching and communicating with the victims.

Journalist and editor of IN Media, Verica Marinčić, highlighted at this gathering that they, as a newsroom, have become accustomed to threats.

"We thought that changing the municipal president would improve relations. We extended a hand, but we were conditioned by things we could not accept. We do not participate in project co-financing competitions, as we have been rejected three times without explanation," Marinčić stated.

She added that they have paid off three SLAPP lawsuits so far, and they have five more, of which they can pay for three.

"We sued Informer for targeting us on March 1 during the Morning Program, where SNS Vice President Zoran Babić and a host were present, with the host claiming that I am a fascist and that I undermine Serbia... Informer defended itself by stating that they are not responsible for their guests, but they omit to mention that the host directed the conversation," Marinčić emphasized, announcing that they are preparing lawsuits against politicians who have incited and endangered their safety.

"We are being attacked by both sides, which means we are doing our job well. We have strong support from colleagues outside Inđija. We are not alone. The visibility of our problems has reached across Serbia and the region. Solidarity is important. We highlight ourselves as an example of the negative attitude towards journalists and newsrooms. That support is not negligible," she stressed.

Stanislava Babin from Pazovačke media also mentioned that they have sued Informer twice, but she added experiences related to threats to their safety and obstruction in their work.

"In Novi Sad on September 5, a police officer hit me with a baton. A policewoman brought us into the station crying, where her colleagues were panicked. She said they did not know who the police officers were that attacked us and who were throwing things," Babin explained.

Lea Apro, a journalist from N1, also recalled several instances when she was attacked in Novi Sad and added that all reports have been dismissed so far.

"We faced horrific pressures during our stay at FTN. I was told that a student who led demonstrations against Dinko Gruhonjić filmed me. He started to run away and snatched my mobile phone. The prosecutor told me that I made their job easier because I recognized the attacker, but that didn't help at all," Apro said.

During the meeting in Inđija, prosecutors from Sremska Mitrovica, Stara Pazova, and Ruma attended, emphasizing that it is desirable for the statements of attacked journalists to be as complete as possible and that it should always be noted in the reports that these are attacks on journalists in order for the procedure to be expedited.

Representatives from IN Media, Pazovačke, N1, and Radio Belgrade 1 participated in the conversation, as well as Dragana Bjelica from the Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS), which reported that this association recorded 261 attacks on the media during the past year, of which 155 were related to protests.

The project "System for the Prevention of Violence and Protection of Journalists" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insider TV and the Center for Development of Local Media, with the support of the European Union.

The OSCE Mission in Serbia supported ANEM's project "24/7 SOS Hotline for Assistance to Journalists and Other Threatened Media Workers," as part of the EU-funded project "Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Serbia."