SARAJEVO, 15.03.2021 – The new Law on Freedom of Access to Information (ZoSPI) must enable much more transparent work of institutions when it comes to access to information and provide timely and detailed answers to media inquiries to institutions – this was pointed out during the online debate “What needs to be changed within the Law on Freedom of Access to Information, which was held today within the IMEP program, with the participation of journalists and editors of BiH media, representatives of NGO’s and the Institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman of BiH.

Uglješa Vuković from Transparency International says that this organization has advocated proactive provisions in the last few years and that the Law specifies which categories of information institutions must publish through their official websites.

-What worries us in the existing preliminary draft law is that the so-called acquired rights that already exist in the law are trying to change. There is also a very long list of exceptions to the legal provisions, which in practice could lead to institutions easily practicing some of these exceptions. Also, the preliminary draft states that the legal deadline for institutions to act from the existing 15 days may be extended in exceptional circumstances for another 15 days. We already have a large number of media complaints that the existing deadline of 15 days is too long, and now it could be extended to a month – Vuković points out.

Jasminka Džumhur from the Institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman of BiH said that this institution out of the total number of complaints on an annual level has 10 percent of complaints related to freedom of access to information and that most of the issued ombudsman recommendations refer to ZoSPI.

– It is commendable that the Ministry of Justice of BiH enabled these consultations regarding the first draft of the Law. However, there are certain challenges, in particular the limitations of the Ombudsman Institution when it comes to law enforcement and the proactive role of reducing the number of actions of the authorities and complaints about access to information. It is necessary to improve the existing solutions in a way that includes international standards – says Džumhur.

The director of the Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN), Leila Bičakčić, emphasized that the ZoSPI is one of the basic tools in the work of journalists and the media, especially those who deal with investigative journalism.

-CIN sends more than a thousand requests for access to information annually. Information concerning finances, budgets, public procurements is sensitive information that is almost inaccessible to the public and there is a great misunderstanding of institutions. Of course, everything depends from institution to institution – it is very easy to communicate with some, and very difficult with some. I do not know that a test of public interest has ever been conducted and in this new law there is still no clear instruction on how it is implemented – says Bičakčić.

Vildana Džekman from the BH Journalists Association believes that the law should not regulate the issue of journalists’ access when gathering information.

– BH Journalists will propose a deadline for submitting information, ie answers to media inquiries, up to a maximum of three days, because we think that these deadlines should be significantly shortened – says Džekman.

Journalists should not be mentioned as a special category within the ZoSPI, says the editor-in-chief of Oslobodjenje, Vildana Selimbegović.

-For those who deal with daily journalism, ZoSPI is the last option. If we insist on being a special category, I am afraid that we will lose that possibility of direct communication and gathering information without submitting a formal request for access to information – says Selimbegović.

She reminded that BH institutions have an obligation to work transparently regardless of the Law on Freedom of Access to Information.

The essence of the new preliminary draft in relation to the old Law on Freedom of Access to Information in BiH is that institutions must act proactively when it comes to information at their disposal, and that information of public interest must be shared and published regardless of whether someone is asking for them or not. Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be obliged to publish on their website information about employees, including name, position, contact information and the amount of salary. In the Pre-Draft Law on Freedom of Access to Information of BiH, which is currently in the process of public debate, the novelty is that all information that institutions are obliged to publish will have to be submitted to the central portal of public information for their permanent availability, which will be run and maintained by the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of BiH.

PODGORICA, 12.03.2021 – The Government is at final stage of definition of the new media support package. This aid will be consisted of the Public Competition for COVID-19, which will soon be announced by the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media. Other measures are also considered, said Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic. with media representatives.

The Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media, Tamara Srzentic, MA, and their associates started a continuous dialogue with the media, and the first meeting was attended by RTCG Director General Bozidar Sundic, Nova M Executive Director Ivana Sebek and Vijesti Executive Director Marijana Bojanic, and the editor-in-chief of Prva TV, Drazen Zivkovic.

Krivokapic said that together with Minister Srzentic he initiated a continuous media dialogue in order to solve, through a series of open and constructive meetings, the long-standing problems of the media community in Montenegro, which relate primarily to the unequal status of the media in the media market, the institutional and normative framework in which the media operate.
“This government wants, regardless of editorial policies, to define clear procedures and rules so that the funds from the budget of Montenegro that are allocated for media content, are distributed in a transparent manner,” said the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Krivokapic announced that the Government has already started activities on the development of the Media Strategy, but that the goal is not to adopt documents that do not have adequate application, but those that will be implemented and whose effects will be measurable. He also said that he was familiar with the objections that accompanied the adoption of media laws and that all these issues in the coming period must be considered through the improvement of existing solutions or the development of new ones.

“The media in Montenegro should have an adequate environment in which they operate so that they can do their job smoothly and professionally. In the coming period, through this mechanism and through the surveys we have launched, our goal is to identify the needs and problems of the media community. If we do not ask you and do not listen to you, then public policies do not have their purpose either”m said Minister Srzentic.

Media representatives welcomed the launch of the dialogue in order to solve the problems of the media sector, and pointed out the financial problems they are facing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also, they pointed out that in the coming period it is necessary to approach solving the problem in a systematic way, through the improvement of media regulations, and the introduction of a transparent approach in terms of financing from public funds.

The goal of the Continuous Dialogue with the Media, as they announced, is to obtain information on the biggest challenges from a systemic point of view, in order to achieve long-term solutions to the challenges faced by all representatives of the media community in their work.

PODGORICA, 12.03.2021. – Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) calls on the Ministry of Health and the Government to abandon the new measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, according to which employees, during their movement between municipalities or in the period from 9 pm to 5 am, must submit to the police and a copy of the employment contract or decision on employment.

We believe that this measure is meaningless because it will limit and prevent the work of many journalists and media workers in Montenegro who do not have a solved employment status, and all because the state has allowed some employers to hire them “on the black market” without consequences. According to research by TUMM, in recent years this number has reached 15% of the total number of employees in the media.

Also, the status of freelance journalists, photo reporters and cameramen is not regulated by employment contracts, ie it is not regulated at all. Due to this measure, our colleagues who work for foreign news outlets will also not be able to perform their professional tasks.

At the same time, TUMM protests against yesterday’s decision of the Government and the competent ministries to inform the public about the new measures against coronavirus through a press conference, without journalists, photo reporters and cameramen. Authorities thus avoided answering a number of open-ended questions, while citizens were denied full information and clarifications on the new measures. Also, it is completely opposite to the declarative announcements of the new Government about full transparency of their work. At the same time, TUMM warns that lately, journalists, photojournalists and cameramen are increasingly not invited to events, and it happens that when they are invited, they are forbidden to take photos without explanation, which happened a few days ago when another contingent of Russian vaccines arrived from Serbia to Podgorica airport.

If it has promised full transparency, the new Government must prove it by deeds, not just words.

TUMM Main Board

BELGRADE, 11.03.2021. – The interrogation of Vladimir Vuletic, a former official of the Partizan FC, is a spin and replacing ‘the target’ in state’s attempts to divert attention from the links between its structures and the criminal world, Vladimir Gajic, a lawyer, and Vesna Radojevic, a journalist with Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) have told N1 TV on Thursday.

„It’s a specific situation. I don’t want to pretend to be courageous, but the state put us in the centre of the two clans’ showdown, which has claimed hundreds of victims here and in Montenegro. And then, the President (Aleksandar Vucic) says KRIK cooperates with (arrested leader of the Partizan FC fans group and suspected head of a criminal organisation Veljko) Belivuk.  I’m more afraid of the state than of the criminals,“ Radojevic said.

She added that „the state uses the stories about Vuletic to divert the attention… The state is involved in the whole case. Like in Jovanjica 2 indictment which covered people from the police and the state security agency.“

She said KRIK could not reveal its sources. „(Vucic’s son) Danilo Vucic, guarded by ‘Cobras’ (Serbia’s Army elite unit), is often seen in the company of people who are known to be members of the so-called Kavacaki clan. We published a photo of them together taken by our journalist Bojana Pavlovic in the centre of Belgrade. They were sitting in a café, not hiding… So, Vucic’s attacks now seem like revenge.“

Radojevic added KRIK received the public and colleagues’ support but said she did not expect anything from the state. „This will fade out until a new attack.“

Gajic told N1 TV that „the regime is the source of every crime in Serbia… Jovanjica, wire-tapping, soccer fans, all are linked to the state, but we won’t learn the outcome during the rule of these authorities.“

He added that the latest affairs were „an overture to the collapse of Vucic’s regime.“

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) condemns the smear campaign aimed at
the Network for Investigation of Crime and Corruption (KRIK) by pro-government media
outlets that propagated the baseless and dangerous claim that KRIK has a ‘secret deal’
with Veljko Belivuk, a recently arrested leader of an organised crime group.

On 9th and 10th March, a number of pro-Government media outlets alleged that KRIK is
coordinating with Belivuk to monitor or threaten the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić.
Tabloid newspapers, including The Serbian Telegraph, Kurir and Alo published
front-page articles that KRIK is Belivuk’s private media. Alo stated in its coverage, that
KRIK ‘served on the one hand as a megaphone of the criminal clan of Veljko Belivuk, and
on the other as an instrument of police officials who eavesdropped on the President of
Serbia and his family.’

On 9 March, pro-government Pink TV, a leading commercial broadcaster, stated in its
news show that “it is suspected that people from the top of the police provided KRIK
journalists with data on the movements of President Aleksander Vučić’s family
members.” Little verifiable or corroborated evidence has been shared to verify these
claims.

The publication of such baseless claims linking a reputable non-profit investigative outlet
to a prominent member of organised crime puts KRIK’s journalists and other staff at risk.
Moreover, we fear that these allegations may be used as a pretext to initiate police
investigation of the independent outlet and use state entities to further intimidate the
outlet. KRIK is one of the few outlets to publish stories on Belivuk’s gang and its ties with
the Serbian government and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party.

Pro-Government media outlets should not be used to further enhance polarisation and
target independent media outlets. Due to the ongoing threats of violence from organised
crime in Serbia and endemic impunity in investigating attacks against journalists, this
smear campaign, if left unaddressed, could invite further threats and acts of violence
against KRIK and other independent outlets. Action is required to ensure the situation
does not escalate.

The MFRR joins the coalition of eight Serbian journalists’ and media associations in
calling for the Serbian Public Prosecutor’s Office to ‘deny completely unfounded and
dangerous insinuations about KRIK’s connection with criminal groups’. We will continue
to monitor the situation and call for thorough investigations into the smear campaign and
assurances that KRIK and all staff are protected.

ARTICLE 19
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
European Federation of Journalists
Free Press Unlimited
International Press Institute (IPI)
OBC Transeuropa

BELGRADE, 10.03.2021. – The coalition of journalists’ and media associations strongly condemns the defamation campaign of the pro-government media against the KRIK newsroom and the attempt to criminalize brave and professional journalists of that investigative journalism portal.

We call on the Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office to deny completely unfounded and dangerous insinuations about KRIK’s connection with criminal groups, and the Ministry of the Interior to take all measures to protect journalists and the portal’s editorial staff because their security is seriously endangered after reckless and dangerous subterfuge.

We also expect the Ministry of Culture and Information to urgently announce and condemn the smear and intimidation campaign that was launched against KRIK and to protect the targeted journalists.

For years, the KRIK newsroom has been bravely and professionally investigating corruption and crime, and their work has been acknowledged by numerous national and international awards, but at the same time, they have gained a large number of enemies due to their articles on various grounds. This is evidenced by several threats regarding the safety of the editor in chief  Stevan Dojčinović, as well as three cases of burglary in the apartments of KRIK journalists, which have not yet been clarified.

The coalition of journalists’ and media associations will inform international organizations and associations about a new brutal attack on independent and professional journalists in Serbia.

Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac,  March 10, 2021.

Association of Media

Association of Independent Electronic Media

Association of online media  (AOM)

Independent Journalists’ Association of  Vojvodina (IJAV)

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia  (IJAS)

Association of Independent Local Media “Local Press”

Foundation Slavko Ćuruvija

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.“