ANEM alarm: New threats and targeting of journalists from Glasa Zaječara

Among them stands out one with a directly threatening message, stating: "Wherever it needs to be caught and grinned at in the middle of the square,” which led to a criminal complaint for the offense of endangering safety against the person who sent the threatening message being filed with the Prosecutor's Office for High-Tech Crime.

We remind you that Miljko Stojanović is a frequent target of threats and attacks during coverage of protests and other gatherings. The Voice of Zaječar represents the only independent media outlet in this city, and only Stojanović and his colleague Anđela Risantijević work on the portal, now without any income, which makes them even more vulnerable.

The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) once again reiterates that in recent months, the safety of journalists in Serbia has been further jeopardized, with an increase in the number of threats, pressures, and attacks on female and male journalists who are professionally conducting their work. The impunity for attacks on journalists, especially those who are frequent targets of threats, insults, and assaults, encourages perpetrators to continue their attacks as they know they will not be prosecuted.

ANEM calls on the prosecutor's office and the police to take these threats very seriously, identify the perpetrators as soon as possible, and file charges, while urging the courts to impose appropriate penalties in accordance with the law.

We also appeal to all journalists and media representatives to regularly report any form of endangerment of safety while performing their jobs. A free phone number and direct line from ANEM, 0800 100 115, is available to all journalists, where media representatives can receive explanations about the legal treatment of offenses and the procedures that need to be initiated in order to report endangerment of safety to the relevant institutions, police, and prosecutor's office.

Veran Matić, President of the Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) and Member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists

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

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