The latest threats were sent to the journalists of the N1 television via the social network X. On yesterday’s announcement on the Voice of America account, in which it is stated that international organizations warn that a “hunt for journalists” is open and that physical attacks are also possible, a user named Glisha_m wrote: “The hunt is on, just to find a sponsor to fire up the N1. It has started, quit your jobs, maybe there is a future for you”. The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia will report the latest threats to the High-Tech Crime Department of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The program director of N1 television, Igor Bozic, tells IJAS that it is clear that the threats are related to the video that was broadcast a few days ago on television with a national coverage and on the portals of pro-government tabloids.
“It’s connected to each other, and people can’t control themselves when you make them feel that they should attack or hate someone because they are fictitiously, according to your orders, threatening the security of the president, when in fact journalists are just doing their work,” Bozic told IJAS.
He also adds that the narrative about threats to the president by N1 journalists has existed for a long time, but that new elements have been added, such as posts from social networks, as well as statements by Srdjan Nogo and Milovan Brkic, which have nothing to do with N1.
“By putting them in the same basket, by very imprecisely defining who, what, where and how someone said something, the public is misled and it is done systematically and supported by the highest state officials, which is particularly dangerous,” says Bozic.
In the meantime, a new video was published on the website of the pro-government tabloid Informer, targeting the cartoonist Dusan Petricic, because of the caricature published in the weekly Radar, which depicted the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.
The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia strongly condemns the threats directed at employees of N1 television. We expect the competent institutions to react as soon as possible, to discover and implement proceedings against the perpetrator.
Since the threats are the result of a campaign being waged against independent media these days, we demand that government officials stop their irresponsible behavior and targeting, in order to prevent possible attacks on journalists and the occurrence of unwanted consequences.
We also condemn the latest work targeting Dusan Petricic. We warn that continuing negative campaigns against critics of the government endangers their safety. We invite the media to report professionally and in the interest of the public. Targeting campaigns and incitement are not a feature of professional journalism, but of propaganda that can only deepen tension in society.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Belgrade, July 18, 2024.