Serbian journalists' association condemns threats, calls for action

Serbia's Independent Journalists' Association (NUNS) has strongly condemned threats and intimidation directed at journalists from the Volim Zrenjanin news portal and Zoomer. The association urged authorities to take swift action to ensure the safety of media professionals.

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There is no cure for you, only a bullet.

The threats against Volim Zrenjanin and its editor, Aleksandar Blanusa, began with a user's comment on an article, stating, "There is no cure for you, only a bullet." This was followed by a phone call to Blanusa, where a man issued vulgar insults and threats, ordering the editor to meet him and threatening to "smash his head." The portal's editorial staff possesses an audio recording of this conversation, and Blanusa has reported the incident to the police and prosecutor's office.

Separately, Zoomer journalist Darko Gligorijevic faced online threats after an appearance on N1 TV. A user commented on an Instagram post of his interview, questioning his credibility and issuing a veiled threat: "How are you not ashamed to come to our town of Dubovac and spread lies? Oh, just come again and see what happens to you."

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Threats and intimidation against journalists are a grave form of pressure that jeopardizes their safety and their right to work freely.

NUNS emphasized that threats against journalists for reporting on matters of public interest are a serious form of intimidation. The association warned that a lack of effective institutional response emboldens perpetrators and undermines media freedom, creating an atmosphere of fear that hinders professional reporting.

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The intimidation of journalists is a direct attack on media freedom, as it jeopardizes their safety and creates an atmosphere of fear that can seriously hinder or prevent them from carrying out their work without obstruction and reporting to the public on matters of public interest.