Judge Đorđević has filed a third lawsuit against KRIK, seeking prison sentences for two more journalists.
The judge of the Appellate Court in Belgrade, Dušanka Đorđević, has filed a new, third lawsuit against journalists from KRIK regarding the database "Prosudi ko sudi," in which we investigated the work of the judiciary. The judge has submitted a criminal complaint seeking a 10-month prison sentence and a two-year ban on practicing journalism for KRIK editor Bojana Jovanović and Jelena Radivojević due to an alleged violation of the right to privacy. She previously filed two lawsuits—criminal and civil—which the Coalition Against SLAPP lawsuits in Europe (CASE) has characterized as classic SLAPP lawsuits filed without merit, aimed at pressuring journalists to stop reporting on certain topics.
A new criminal lawsuit has recently been filed against the KRIK editorial office by Judge Dušanka Đorđević and her husband, attorney Aleksandar Đorđević.
Unlike the previous two lawsuits, which were filed during the proceedings against KRIK editor Stevan Dojčinović and journalist Bojana Pavlović, the new lawsuit targets editor Bojana Jovanović and journalist Jelena Radivojević. The Đorđevićs are seeking 10 months of imprisonment and a two-year ban on practicing journalism for each of them.
The judge and her husband filed the new lawsuit because, they claim, they only discovered during the trials they are conducting against KRIK that Jovanović and Radivojević participated in the creation of the judges' database "Prosudi ko sudi."
This reasoning does not hold, considering that Judge Đorđević received an interview request and specific questions from Radivojević during the research and work on the judges' database.
"Judge Đorđević was aware as early as January last year, when we published her profile in the database, that Jelena was researching her, and Bojana was clearly identified as the editor of the database," says KRIK editor Stevan Dojčinović. "So these are merely excuses, while the real reason she filed a third lawsuit against us is likely an attempt to exert even greater pressure on the editorial office's work. It is completely inappropriate for a judge to behave this way – manipulating the judicial system and harassing journalists."
All three lawsuits filed by the judge and her husband are related to the judge's profile in the "Prosudi ko sudi" database, which KRIK launched at the end of 2020 to increase transparency in the judiciary. The profile contains information about the cases in which Đorđević has presided, details about the property owned by her and her husband, and nothing has been published that could threaten their safety.
However, the judge claims in the lawsuits that the journalists violated her privacy by publishing her name and position in the Appellate Court in Belgrade, as well as the number of properties she owns with her husband. She even claims that by publishing data in the KRIK database, it calls for public lynching, places targets on her family's back, and that by detailing her assets, it suggests they stem from corruption and crime.
CASE has labeled the judge's lawsuits as SLAPP, aimed at pressuring journalists
The previous two lawsuits – civil and criminal – in which the Đorđevićs are seeking monetary damages, imprisonment, and a ban on practicing journalism, have been classified by the international Coalition Against SLAPP in Europe (CASE) as classic examples of SLAPP – lawsuits filed without any basis, aimed at pressuring journalists to stop reporting on certain topics.
"The case risks creating a strong chilling effect on journalists if the lawsuits are not dismissed… The judge seeks to completely shut down the database, which would jeopardize transparency and open the door to censorship. Moreover, journalists should not fear prison sentences or professional bans as retribution for their work in providing accurate information about the Serbian judiciary," states the rationale of the CASE coalition.
"It is particularly concerning that the lawsuit was initiated by a judge – a person who has sworn to uphold the rule of law, not to use the legal system for personal gain. This case highlights the urgent need for clear, strong guidelines for members of the judiciary and attorneys on how to recognize SLAPP lawsuits and avoid supporting them, as such actions directly contradict the fundamental principles of their profession."
The lawsuits filed by the Đorđević couple are just some of the many lawsuits that have been filed against KRIK journalists in recent years. Among others, they have been sued by Predrag Koluvija, who is on trial in the "Jovanjica" case, Nikola Petrović, a godfather of the state president, former state secretary in the Ministry of the Interior Dijana Hrkalović, the company "Starting," one of the main subcontractors for the Novi Sad Railway Station building from which a canopy fell on November 1 last year, Jelena Tanasković, who is suspected in the canopy collapse case, and many others.
You can read more about the first lawsuit that Judge Đorđević filed against KRIK journalists HERE
Source: KRIK
