The SafeJournalists Network and the Coalition for Media Freedom strongly condemn the latest threats, hate speech, sexist and misogynistic attacks against Kristina Demeter Filipčev, a journalist of the bilingual portal Bečejski mozaik, as well as disturbing messages sent to the portal Vranje News and journalist Vladimir Mitrić.
Following a report by Bečejski mozaik from a public gathering, published under the headline “Parallel actions at the same location in Bečej: Students attracted citizens, SNS stands empty”, a series of brutal threats and insults appeared on the portal’s Facebook and Instagram pages. The messages included threats of violence and hanging, hate speech, incitement to national hatred, misogynistic and sexist insults, as well as direct calls for physical violence against the journalist.
Among the messages sent to Kristina Demeter Filipčev were threats stating “you will hang too”, “I’ll f*** both you, the journalist, and the students… all under the sword”, as well as insults based on nationality, messages questioning her origin, and brutal misogynistic insults and calls for violence.
The SafeJournalists Network and the Coalition for Media Freedom warn that such hate speech seriously endangers the safety of the journalist.
It is particularly concerning that Kristina Demeter Filipčev has previously faced similar threats and disturbing messages. Over the past year, several cases were reported to the prosecutor’s office and the police, but none of them resulted in a conviction. The lack of an effective institutional response further encourages perpetrators and creates an atmosphere in which women journalists, especially those working in local communities, are exposed to continuous pressure, intimidation and gender-based violence.
We also point to the disturbing message sent to the portal Vranje News from Vranje, which came from an account that has, in the previous period, also sent threats and disturbing messages to other local media, including Magločistač from Subotica, IN Medija from Inđija and the newsroom of Južne vesti. Despite the recurrence of such attacks, the competent institutions have so far failed to identify and prosecute the person behind these messages.
Also deeply concerning is the threat against Vladimir Mitrić, correspondent of Večernje novosti from Loznica, posted under an announcement on the Facebook page of Insajder for the programme “Press ne pucaj”. In the comment, Mitrić was told that he “should have been killed with a sledgehammer to the head long ago”. This threat is particularly serious given that Vladimir Mitrić has been living and working under police protection for more than two decades, after surviving an attempted murder in 2005, when a former police officer brutally attacked him with a baseball bat.
The SafeJournalists Network and the Coalition for Media Freedom recall that threats against women and men journalists, especially when they include calls for violence, misogyny, hate speech and incitement to national intolerance, must be treated as serious attacks on media freedom and the safety of media workers. It is especially dangerous when the targets are local journalists, who are often additionally exposed to pressure in their communities and work with limited resources and protection.
We call on the police, the prosecutor’s office and the competent institutions in Serbia to urgently identify the persons who issued these threats, establish their responsibility and sanction them. Institutions must demonstrate that threats against journalists and newsrooms will not be tolerated, relativised or left without consequences.
Impunity for such attacks directly endangers media freedom and sends the message that journalists are legitimate targets because of their work. It is therefore necessary that every case of threats be investigated promptly and effectively, and that perpetrators be sanctioned.
We express our full solidarity with Kristina Demeter Filipčev, Vladimir Mitrić and the newsroom of Vranje News, as well as with all journalists who are exposed to threats, hate speech and pressure because of their professional reporting.
Pristina – Skopje – Sarajevo – Zagreb – Belgrade – Podgorica – Tirana, 15 June 2026
SafeJournalists
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Association of Journalists of Kosovo
Association of Journalists of Macedonia
BH Journalists Association
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
Coalition for Media Freedom
Media Association
Online Media Association (AOM)
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (IJAV)
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS)
Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Lokal Pres”
Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
“Nezavisnost” Branch Trade Union of Culture, Art and Media.