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Serbian media group calls official's lawsuit against editor a SLAPP tactic
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Culture & Society

Serbian media group calls official's lawsuit against editor a SLAPP tactic

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • An independent media association in Serbia has condemned a criminal complaint filed against the editor of a local news portal as a SLAPP lawsuit aimed at intimidation.
  • The complaint was filed by a local official against the editor of eStvarnost for alleged false reporting, which the portal denies, stating it lacks evidence.
  • The association urged officials to stop pressuring media outlets whose editorial policies they dislike, citing concerns for media freedom in Serbia.

An independent media association in Serbia has labeled a criminal complaint against the editor of a local news portal as a "classic SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) procedure." The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) stated the lawsuit, filed by the secretary of the Aranฤ‘elovac Municipal Assembly, aims to intimidate the editorial team, distract from their work, and waste their time.

classic SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) procedure that aims to intimidate the editorial team, distract attention, delay the process, and take time away from the regular activities of that media.

โ€” ANEMDescribing the nature of the criminal complaint filed against the editor of the local portal eStvarnost.

The editor of the local portal eStvarnost, Dragan Todoroviฤ‡, reported to police in Aranฤ‘elovac following the complaint by assembly secretary ฤorฤ‘e Rizniฤ‡. Rizniฤ‡ accused Todoroviฤ‡ of false reporting. The eStvarnost editorial team insists the complaint lacks any evidence to support the allegations.

ANEM highlighted that the complaint follows a separate action by eStvarnost. The portal had recently filed a criminal complaint against Rizniฤ‡ and the president of the Aranฤ‘elovac Municipal Assembly, Nikola Obradoviฤ‡. This action was taken after a journalist from eStvarnost, Ljiljana Stojanoviฤ‡, was denied access to a local parliament session held at the National Museum.

The editorial team of the eStvarnost portal states that ฤorฤ‘e Rizniฤ‡'s criminal complaint was filed without any material evidence and facts that would indicate any falsehood in Todoroviฤ‡'s report.

โ€” eStvarnost editorial teamResponding to the allegations made in the criminal complaint.

"We call on all state and local officials to refrain from pressuring media outlets whose editorial policies clearly do not suit them," ANEM stated. "In this way, they endanger media freedom and expression in Serbia, which is already at a rather alarming level."

We call on all state and local officials to refrain from pressuring media outlets whose editorial policies clearly do not suit them, because in this way they endanger media freedom and expression in Serbia, which is already at a rather alarming level.

โ€” ANEMUrging officials to cease actions that threaten media freedom.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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