Death threats against journalists in Serbia must be investigated and their safety ensured, says OSCE Representative

VIENNA, 16 September 2016 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović today called on Serbian authorities to fully investigate acts of intimidation and threats directed at several journalists.

Mijatović said that she followed with great concern a series of incidents, including death threats, directed at media over the past three months.

The most recent incident involves death threats to Nedim Sejdinović, President of the Independent Journalists' Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), Dinko Gruhonjić, programme editor at NDNV, and Slobodan Georgijev, a journalist with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Serbia.

Mijatović raised several other incidents, including threats against:

• Dragana Pećo and the editorial staff of the investigative online news portal KRIK;

• Boris Džinić, a journalist at Nocturne magazine;

• Maja Živanović, a journalist with Vojvodina’s Investigation and Analytical Centre (VOICE) in Novi Sad; and,

• Zoran Kesić, a journalist and anchor of 24 Minutes television programme. 

“Journalists must not be threatened or in any way silenced for their work,” Mijatović said. “I believe that the law enforcement authorities will investigate all attacks, including these recent ones.”

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and at www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.