BELGRADE, 21.11.2016. – Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia strongly condemns threats and insults sent via social networks to journalist Sajma Redzepefendic from Novi Pazar. At the same time, IJAS calls on the Prosecutor’s Office and Novi Pazar police to identify the persons who sent threatening messages and initiate proceedings against them in accordance with the Criminal Law urgently.
Association “Zajedno” from Novi Pazar informed IJAS that Sajma Redzepefendic, its activist and journalist of Radio Television Novi Pazar, “as well as her family and her child (a 10 months baby) was a target of judgments and death threats”. Insults and threatening messages to Redzepefendic came after she had published the following in her post on Facebook profile “confession of women, single mothers, who experienced unpleasantness and verbal assaults from the employees of the Islamic Community in Serbia.” When the status was republished by Glas Pazara portal, judgments and threats followed and continued even after Glas Pazara portal deleted its post.
In its letter to IJAS, “Zajedno” Association points out that “in the previous two weeks an aggressive campaign was lead against all those who loudly and clearly raised their voice against existing problems in Novi Pazar… The activists of civil society organizations and journalists have become sitting ducks and various individuals and members of various organized groups are directing them open threats in public, on the street, and through social networks and, hence, are preventing their actions and tireless work .“
The case was reported to Police Administration in Novi Pazar on November 20, while criminal charges were laid against a person who threatened Sajma Redzepefendic.
IJAS reminds the public that the sentence prescribed for the crime of endangering the safety of journalists is six months to five years in prison.
IJAS Secretariat
