Threats against the life and physical safety of journalists, Zoran Drekalović, Belgrade, 21.07.2025.

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Threats against the life and physical safety of journalists, Zoran Drekalović, Belgrade, 21.07.2025.

Translations: Beograd 

  • Case info

  • Personal info

  • Regional center
    Belgrade
  • Who was attacked?
    Journalist
  • Gender
    Man
  • Victim(s) name
    Zoran Drekalović

  • Media outlet

  • Name of the media outlet
    Agencija Fonet
  • Type of media platform
    Online Media
  • Source of information about the incident
    Zoran Drekalović

  • Incident Data

  • Date of incident
    21.07.2025
  • City
    Beograd
  • Were authorities informed?
    Case was reported to the police
  • Perpetrator(s)
    Known (suspected)
  • Attacked by
    Politician(s) / political party(ies) (other than public officials)
  • Means of incidents and attacks
    In person
  • Type of incident
    Threats against the lives and physical safety of journalists
  • Type of threat
    Explicit - to journalist(s)

  • Action by the authorities

  • Legal status of the case
    The procedure is in the phase of gathering information about all the circumstances of the case
  • Type of violation
    Security threat
    Damage to journalists' belongings
    Other

  • Action taken by the journalists' association

  • Was journalist's association informed by the journalists directly?
    No
  • What was the reaction of the journalists' association?
    The association provided legal support
    The association organized some other form of support

On July 21, in front of the Cultural Center Hall (DKC) in Belgrade, FoNet agency cameraman Zoran Drekalović was threatened, and his phone was temporarily taken from him in order to delete footage.

Drekalović was performing his journalistic duties and filming events at the entrance of the DKC, where several people were present. In the footage he managed to record before his phone was taken, a man—later identified as Ratibor Trivunac and an unidentified woman can be seen attempting to open the DKC door, but failing because it was locked.

At one point, when they realized the victim was filming, the woman and Trivunac approached Drekalović, and the woman demanded that he delete the recording. The victim replied that he would not delete it, that he was filming in a public space, and that the editor would decide whether the footage would be published.

The argument continued, after which Trivunac issued threats. In the footage, it can clearly be heard that Ratibor Trivunac said: “We’ll break your legs” and “You won’t know where you are” if you release it, while the unidentified woman added: “Delete the recording, man.”

After this, the victim, realizing the situation was getting out of control and that the threats were serious, took his phone out of his pocket in order to send the footage for safety reasons. He turned off the camera to open the gallery and send the recording containing the threats; however, at that moment, Ratibor Trivunac snatched the phone from him.

Although Drekalović demanded that his phone be returned, Trivunac walked away and eventually went out of sight, after which Drekalović called the police. When the police arrived and Drekalović explained what had happened and who had taken his phone, they eventually managed to locate and detain Trivunac, but without the phone and without the woman who had been with him. After some time, they all went to the police station, where Drekalović gave a statement.

Shortly afterward, the police managed to locate the phone by calling Drekalović’s number and brought it to the station. Before returning it, officers told him he had to wait about 20 minutes for the device to be examined. A little over 20 minutes later, the phone was returned to him with a receipt for the returned item.

When he took the phone, Drekalović saw that the recordings had been deleted; however, he found them in the “deleted photos” (trash) folder.