Solidarity with journalist Sofija Bogosavljev and the KRIK editorial team at the beginning of the 17th court proceeding.
The editorial office of KRIK, the Network for Investigating Crime and Corruption, with 17 court proceedings, holds the record for the number of lawsuits with the characteristics of SLAPP, which aim to intimidate journalists, obstruct editorial work, and financially exhaust them. Such lawsuits, as is evident in the case of KRIK, are initiated by political powerful figures, companies, and individuals close to the top of the government, favorites of the authorities from the criminal milieu, judges, and lawyers.
On Monday, July 21, the trial of Sofia Bogosavljev begins, following a criminal complaint filed by the company "Starting," which is one of the main subcontractors involved in the reconstruction of the Railway Station in Novi Sad, from which a canopy collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 16 citizens. This is due to an article that revealed the company had multiple past incidents in which workers were injured at unsecured construction sites, leading to inspections that initiated proceedings, which mostly expired due to the court's sluggishness.
This company claims in its criminal complaint that its business reputation has been damaged and seeks a penalty of 300,000 dinars against journalist Sofia Bogosavljev. All data published in the article was obtained from publicly accessible sources, official documents from misdemeanor courts, and the relevant ministry, in accordance with the law.
The information published by KRIK is of public interest, as the company "Starting" operates with the state on projects funded by citizens, who should receive all information regarding how it operates and whether it complies with the law. Furthermore, it is essential to know whether institutions are performing their duties in cases of legal violations.
Particularly concerning in cases of lawsuits with SLAPP characteristics is the legal abuse aimed at criminalizing investigative journalists and thus preventing them from performing their journalistic duties.
ANEM demands that state and judicial institutions urgently begin implementing mechanisms to recognize and prevent lawsuits with SLAPP characteristics, as recommended by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.
ANEM expresses its support for journalist Sofia Bogosavljev and the editorial team at KRIK, and calls on journalists, human rights advocates, and the domestic and international public to closely monitor this trial, thereby demonstrating solidarity. Seventeen active court proceedings against influential individuals with unlimited resources represent an assault on media freedom and the public's right to know.
We must all work together to ensure that such attempts to suppress freedoms do not endanger professional journalistic work in the public interest.
Veran Matić, President of the ANEM Board and Member of the Permanent Working Group for Journalist Safety
The project "System for Preventing Violence and Protecting Journalists" is implemented by ANEM in partnership with Insajder TV and the Center for the Development of Local Media, with support from the European Union and the Balkan Democracy Fund.
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