BELGRADE, 10.03.2021. – The international organisation, Civil Rights Defenders, condemned what it saw as a shameless tabloid campaign of pro-government media against (Crime and Corruption Reporting Network) KRIK, linking it to a notorious criminal group.
„In fact, KRIK first revealed the gang’s close connections with key figures in the ruling party,“ the organisation wrote on its Twitter account.
KRIK said the pro-regime media targeted the network to discredit it, this time linking them to a leader of a criminal organisation.
Zeljko Bodrozic, the President of the Independent Association of Serbia’s Journalists (NUNS), said the media under the authorities’ control „launched a hazardous campaign of linking independent media to Veljko Belivuk’s criminal group to abolish state officials from responsibility for the emergence, strengthening and atrocities committed by this and other criminal groups.“
Later on Wednesday, the Independent Society of Vojvodina’s Journalists (NDNV) warned all respective institutions that such attacks could have serious consequences. They target journalists who report on corruption and crime in which Serbia has plunged in recent years.
The Society recalled that this year, 21 attacks on journalists were registered.
Also, KRIK’s editor Stevan Dojcinovic told N1 TV that „there is not much we can do under these circumstances in the country because the state targets us and put us in such a situation.“
Several pro-government tabloids reported on their Wednesday’s front pages that Belivuk cooperated with the KRIK website and that it was his ‘personal media’ with which he had a ‘secret deal.’
Dojcinovic said the situation was more dangerous than with previous attacks since the journalists were linked to a criminal group that is „in an open mafia war.“
„It has never been like this,“ Dojcinovic said, adding he and all colleagues felt insecure.
NDNV added that the KRIK reporters were not under attack for the first time, adding that no one was punished.
The Society called on people to „show solidarity with journalists“ and to understand the attacks on KRIK „as attacks on their right to be informed.“