Veran Matić: Attacks on Dinko Gruhonjić are multiplying alongside the rhetoric of the authorities and tabloids.

“Unfortunately, not those who could exert more serious pressure on the authorities in Serbia, which often stands behind these threats and attacks in various ways, whether as an inspirator or executor, through mercenaries or representatives of institutions, including the police. In August 2025, NUNS recorded at least 14 physical attacks on female and male journalists by police members. Even when results are lacking, there must be a trace left behind, as this is the only way we can document violence and build a foundation for further actions,” says Matić.

He adds that the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office recorded five open cases related to threats directed at Dinko Gruhonjić for the year 2024.

“In one case, when he was threatened on the street, the police submitted a report without identifying the perpetrator. The prosecution then ordered additional actions, the police submitted a new report, followed by another request from the prosecution, and then further urgencies and letters to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but there were no results,” Matić states.

The second case pertains to hate graffiti in front of the building where Gruhonjić lives. The police reported to the prosecution that the identity of the perpetrators had not been revealed, so the case was recorded under the category of “unknown perpetrator.” “The prosecution ordered the continuation of the investigation, but to this day there has been no progress,” emphasizes Matić.

In two cases, possible perpetrators have been identified and warrants issued, while in one case the police did not respond at all to the prosecution's request, despite urgencies. For two new reports from 2025, the prosecution requested the police to gather information, but there has been no response yet.

“This shows that there is a series of formal actions and communication between the prosecution and the police, but there are no results. We notice that the police have significantly reduced their effectiveness in investigations, and the prosecution does not utilize legal mechanisms to determine the police's accountability for non-action. To my knowledge, such a procedure has never been initiated since the establishment of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists. The impunity of perpetrators is on the rise: in the past year and this year, we have only one conviction in more than 100 criminal complaints,” concludes Matić.

Commenting on the intense campaigns of attacks and threats against Dinko Gruhonjić, Matić states that Gruhonjić has had multiple roles throughout his career: journalist, president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina, journalism professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, activist, and antifascist, and that he has clearly expressed leftist views.

“Being against nationalism, fascism, condemning war crimes and corruption – principled and consistent – inevitably creates a large number of enemies from various sides. He is dedicated to building bridges in the region and reconciliation, which further sets him apart as a target, as the authorities in Serbia and tabloids have labeled all opponents as Ustaše. In this way, no one in the world, like the current Serbian government, has so trivialized the term Ustaša – and banalized one of the most horrific criminal movements directed at the extermination of Serbs during World War II,” says Matić.

Matić emphasizes that the stereotypes and fabricated accusations against Gruhonjić are not new, but today they are multiplying alongside the rhetoric of the authorities and tabloids.

“Very often, there has been no adequate response from the opposition, parts of the NGO sector, and some journalistic associations to such accusations. The attacks on Dinko also serve to divert attention from student and civic protests, from the repression against non-violent students and rebellious citizens, and from the violence of the police and paramilitary forces, which is increasingly recognized and condemned by the international community,” says Matić.

Source: Danas