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BH Journalists: Shameful chase on journalists who write about the “Respirators” affair

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SARAJEVO, 04.06.2020. In the last few days, several edited videos have appeared on social networks directly mentioning the names of journalists who discovered the “Respirators” affair and wrote about it, posting their photos in a very negative context and presenting a thesis about their alleged connection with certain politicians and political parties.

The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association and the Free Media Help Line (FMHL) consider the publication of these videos a gross attempt to intimidate and target journalists and the media, who with their investigative stories in the past two months exposed one of the biggest affairs in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina. The use of social networks to spread unsubstantiated accusations and a coordinated, public chase of journalists from Fokus.ba and Raport.ba portals presents direct pressure on colleagues from these two media with the intention of discrediting them and diverting attention from current cases related to public procurement during the pandemic. At the same time, this is an attack on life, personal safety and integrity of our colleagues.

The Steering Committee of BH Journalists and the FMHL call on the Ministry of Interior of FBiH and the Directorate of Federal Police to react urgently and investigate who is behind the production and publication of the above mentioned videos and Facebook profiles from which they are distributed, and who are the principals and persons responsible for this shameful and inadmissible harassment of journalists, which must be stopped immediately and the perpetrators sanctioned in accordance with the law.

It is a worrying fact that social networks are increasingly being used as a “tool” for combat with journalists and the media, spreading hate speech against media representatives and making false claims in public to distrust all those whose reporting does not correspond with certain political structures or their sympathizers.

Given that we are in an election year, the Steering Committee of BH Journalists calls on all media organizations and institutions not to allow political targeting of journalists and media, regardless of who is in question, and to show solidarity and stand up for all colleagues who are exposed to attacks, threats and pressures.

The BH Journalists Association will also inform all international organizations responsible for the protection of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists about pressures on journalists of Fokus and Raport.

CINS: REM doesn’t publish all monitored data aired on TVs in Serbia

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Serbia’s Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) records the appearances of state officials on TVs’ programmes during the election campaign but does not publish the results in its reports, the Center for Investigative Journalism in Serbia (CINS) has said on Tuesday.

Zoran Gavrilovic from BIRODI agrees. “REM doesn’t publish the tone of messages, i.e., whether the participants in the election campaign are presented in a negative or positive or neutral tone.

That is one of the reasons why REM reports can create a wrong impression that the opposition is equally present on TV channels as is the regime.”

“REM also doesn’t publish all data which they collect during monitoring. The Body records TVs’ appearances of the parties and their representatives during the campaign in which the air time is mostly equally divided. That is marked red in REM’s weekly reports,” CINS says.

Though according to CINS, REM records all appearances of President Aleksandar Vucic and other high-ranked officials from news to entertainment programmes which are marked blue, that air time is not shown in REM reports.

Pretnje Gavriloviću nakon gostovanja na N1

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BEOGRAD, 04.06.2020. – Nakon zajedničkog gostovanja i burnog razgovora sa članicom Regulatornog tela za elektronske medije (REM) Oliverom Zekić u emisiji Pressing, sociologu i istraživaču Biroa za društvena istraživanja (BIRODI) Zoranu Gavriloviću su na Tviteru počele da stižu salve pretnji i uvreda.

„Od etiketiranja da sam izdajnik i slično, do pretnji batinama, ili snimaka kada ultimativni borac pljuje u kameru“, kratko je Gavrilović opisao poruke i komentare koje mu od sinoćne emisije stižu preko Tvitera.

Suđenje zbog paljenja kuće novinara Milana Jovanovića

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„Bože ostali smo beskućnici“

„Želela sam da uletim u taj plamen,“ rekla je Jela Deljanin danas pred Drugim osnovnim sudom gde je nastavljeno ročište zbog paljenja kuću u kojoj je živela sa suprugom Milanom Jovanovićem, novinarom portala Žig info. Na ročištu je govorio i sudski veštak koji je procenjivao štetu nastalu nakon požara, dok je odbrana angažovala stručnog savetnika koji je dovodio u pitanje stepen oštećenja kuće.

„Od te noći imam traume. Ne mogu da spavam, lečim se na psihijatriji,“ rekla je danas Jela Deljanin, supruga novinara Milana Jovanovića  u nastavku suđenja za paljenje njihove kuće u kojoj se kao prvookrivljeni nalazi bivši predsednik Opštine Grocka i funkcioner Srpske napredne stranke, Dragoljub Simonović.

Deljanin je na današnjem ročištu dala iskaz u svojstvu oštećene. Iako je ona ponovila da ostaje pri svom iskazu koji je dala u istrazi, advokat odbrane Ivica Vuković je insistirao da ona ponovo pred sudom ispriča sve detalje o 12. decembru 2018. kada je kuća zapaljena.

Deljanin je rekla da je to bio jedan običan dan, kada je sa suprugom Milanom bila u gradu kako bi registrovali kola i podigli penzije.

Njen suprug Milan je spavao u donjem delu kuće, dok je ona bila na spratu i gledale televiziju jer nije mogla da spava.

Oko dvadeset do tri ujutru čula je neku pucnjavu koja joj se učinila kao zvuk petardi, a nakon toga je čula i lomljavu stakla. Izašla je na terasu i videla auto u daljini kako se udaljava, a kada je pogledala u garažu videla je da gori.

„Toliko sam se uzbudila da nisam znala šta da radim. Setila sam se Milana koji dole spava,“ rekla je Deljanin i dodala da je u pidžami i bez papuča krenula niz stepenice ka svom suprugu, a da je od dima jedva videla kuda ide.

Deljanin je rekla da je supruga vukla i drmusala ali da se on nije pomerao jer ga je opio dim kako je objasnila.

„Dobila sam neku snagu, neku lavovsku snagu, da ga izvučem iz kreveta, ni danas ne znam kako sam to uspela,“ rekla je ona i dodala da je Milan počeo da povraća kada ga je izvukla iz zadimljene sobe.

Dok je kuća gorela Deljanin je bila ispred sa komšijama koje su pozvale policiju, vatrogasce i hitnu pomoć. Ona je htela da se vrati u kuću kako bi pokupila dokumenta i novac od ušteđevine koji su čuvali „za sahranu“ ali je vatra bila prejaka.

Deljanin je rekla da je stajala u pidžami, bosa na ulici u decembru mesecu i plakala i da je u jednom trenutku imala želju da uleti u plamen ali je komšinica zadržala. Prema njenim rečima ona je toliko bila u šoku da  se nije sećala datuma rođenja supruga niti svog kada je policija pitala.

„Bože ostali smo beskućnici,“ rekla je Deljanin opisujući šta joj je prolazilo kroz glavu dok je gledala kako kuća gori.

Objasnila je da nakon požara ima psihološke probleme zbog kojih se leči kao i da pije lekove za srce i visok pritisak koje ranije nije pila.

Od tog dana ne može mirno ni da spava jer je svaki šum budi zbog čega trči na terasu.

„Imam osećaj da će neko opet nešto da nam uradi,“ rekla je Deljanin.

Zbog toga što je kuća izgorela, ona i suprug su deset dana živeli kod komšinice nakon čega su iznajmili stan na Banovom brdu. U kuću su se vratili krajem maja prošle godine ali se i dan danas oseća miris paljevine kako je rekla.

„Tek sada vidim šta mi sve nedostaje,“ rekla je Deljanin i dodala da je kuća sada obnovljena ali da to nije to.

Koliko je bilo zavesa, lustera, i goblena?

Nakon što je Deljanin ponovila šta je doživela u decembru 2018. sudija Slavko Žugić je pozvao zamenika javnog tužioca Predraga Milovanovića da joj postavi pitanja.

Tužilac Milovanović je rekao da on ne želi da tera Deljanin da ponovo evocira uspomene  na taj događaj i da je izlaže viktimizaciji nakon čega je advokat odbrane Vuković krenuo sa postavljanjem pitanja.

Advokat Vuković je započeo pitanjem kako je ona znala da je Milan bio onesvešćen od dima, a ne zbog nečega drugog s obzirom da je srčani bolesnik, na šta je Deljanin odgovorila da je ona kao bivša medicinska sestra jasno videla da je njenom suprugu bilo loše zbog dima jer je nakon iznošenja iz kuče povraćao.

Pitanja advokata Vukovića su se dalje svela na to da traži od Deljanin da navede koliko lustera je imala u kući, koliko zavesa, koliko televizora, šporeta i goblena na zidovima. Vuković je pitao kako se broj zavesa koji je naveden u spisku stvari koje su izgorele ne poklapa sa brojem prozora, na šta je Deljanin u čudu odgovorila da je normalno imala više zavesa i da ih je menjala s vremena na vreme.

Nakon toga je tražio od Deljanin da opiše šta je bilo od stvari u svakoj od soba u kući, a nakon skoro pola sata odgovaranja na pitanja advokata Deljanin je rekla da se psihički ne oseća dobro i da je za previše detalja pita advokat odbrane kojih se ona ne seća.

Na to je reagovao i tužilac Milovanović uz reči „ne vidim smisao ovih pitanja, ovo je iživljavanje“.

Advokat Vukotić je nastavio sa pitanjima i pokazao slike dva kreveta koji su navodno pripadali porodici Jovanović. Prema pitanjima advokata Vukovića moglo se zaključiti da odbrana insistira na tome da nisu sve stvari u kući bile dovoljno oštećene ili dovoljno izgorele kako bi bile bačene. Deljanin je objasnila da su postojala dva kreveta koja su bila crna od dima i mokra od vode nakon intervencije vatrogasaca koje su ona i njen suprug hteli da bace, a da su na kraju dali jednom od majstora koji su čistili šut.

Slična pitanja postavili su i drugi advokati odbrane, koji su se interesovali i za to koliko je koštala obnova kuće i koliko su svog novca potrošili, na šta je Deljanin rekla da ona ne zna tačne cifre jer je njen suprug ugovarao poslove i da je najveći dao kuće renoviran zahvaljujući donacijama.

Veštak evidentirao oštećenja, savetnik odbrane tvrdi da je šteta na kući mnogo manja

Nakon pauze ročište je nastavljeno svedočenjem veštaka građevinske struke Vojislava Popovića koji je 13. februara 2019. godine obišao kuću i napisao izveštaj o tome koliko je oštećena i šta treba popraviti.

Ovaj deo saslušanja protekao je u sukobu mišljenja veštaka i stručnog saradnika koga je angažovala odbrana, Aleksandra Đorđevića.

Dok je sudski veštak, koji je po nalogu tužilaštva uradio veštačenje tvrdio da su sva oštećenja koja je naveo u svom izveštaju postojala, stručni saradnik je tvrdio da se ta oštećenja ne vide na slikama i da je šteta na kući manja nego što tvrdi veštak.

Tako je stručni saradnik tvrdio da garaža koja je izgorela u požaru ne mora da se ruši kako je preporučio veštak, da pločice u kupatilu nisu popucale već su samo nagarena i da sanitarija nije oštećena toliko da je bilo neophodno da se celokupno zameni.

Sudski veštak je ostao pri svom stavu da je sve bilo toliko oštećeno da je moralo da se zameni, garaža potpuno, a kuća delimično.

Tokom ove rasprave reagovao je sudija Žugić koji je istakao da za procenu naknade štete nije važno kolika je tržišna vrednost kuće, već koliko je novca potrebno da se kuća vrati u prethodno stanje, stanje pre požara.

„Ne može se kupiti greda stara 30 godina, da bi se vratilo u prethodno stanje,“ rekao je sudija Žugić.

Odbrana je sa druge strane tvrdila da procenjena šteta ne može biti veća od vrednosti objekta.

Milan Jovanović je komentarišući navode odbrane da je kuća znatno manje oštećena rekao da je spreman da o trošku odbrane skine sav stiropor i sve gipsane ploče koje su sada postavljene kako bi ih uverio koliko su malter i zidovi oštećeni.

Još jedna tačka sukoba je bila činjenica da odbrana nije bila pozvana da dođe na dan kada je sudski veštak izašao na teren. Odbrana je postavila pitanje zašto oni nisu obavešteni, na šta je sudski veštak rekao da je shvatio da je slučaj hitan i da je samo obavestio zastupnika porodice Jovanović kako bi mu se omogućio pristup kući i da nije našao za shodno da obavesti odbranu.

Na samom kraju suđenja, tužilac Milovanović je priložio sudu odgovor direktora Centralnog zatvora u kome se kaže da trećeokrivljeni Igor Novaković nije izvođen iz zatvora tokom trajanja pritvora.

Optuženi Novaković je tokom iznošenja odbrane na prethodnom ročištu tvrdio da je 24. decembar 2018. godine „protiv svoje volje otet i kidnapovan iz prostorija Centralnog zatvora i odveden u prostorije Uprave kriminalističke policije na Makišu kod Age Ciganlije.“ Novaković je rekao da su ga visokopozicionirani pripadnici Uprave kriminalističke policije (UKP) naterali da prizna da je učestvovao u organizaciji paljenja kuće novinara Milana Jovanovića.

Odbrana je nakon toga reagovala i rekla da oni imaju taj dokument direktora zatvora ali da nisu ni očekivali od direktora da potrdi da je Novaković izvođen iz zatvora zbog čega su tražili da se utvrdi ko je sve radio sporne noći imenom i prezimenom kako bi se ti ljudi pozvali za svedoke.

Odbrana je takođe predložila da se kao svedoci pozovu dve osobe koje su čistile šut nakon požara.

The Council for Civil Control of the Police considered the case of arrestting of journalist Velisa Kadic

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PODGORICA, 3.6.2020. – The Council for Civil Control of Police held a regular session today in the Parliament of Montenegro, chaired by MA Aleksandar Sasa Zekovic. Several cases were considered, which were formed on the complaints of citizens, police officers, NGOs and on the own initiative of the members of the Council.

Professor Drazen Cerovic and lawyer Zoran Celebic also took part in this session. In one part of the session participated, by invitation, Mr. Damir Suljevic, program assistant at the Center for Civic Education (CCE), Ms. Mila Radulovic, Secretary General of the Association of Professional Journalists of Montenegro (DPN Montenegro), Jelena Popovic, associate in DPN of Montenegro and Ms. Marijana Camovic Velickovic President of the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM). These organizations submitted complaints to the Council for Civil Control of Police Work on the treatment of police officers of the Security Center (CB) Niksic towards journalist Velisa Kadic, head of the Correspondence of Vecernje novosti in Montenegro.

CCE, DPN of Montenegro and TUMM , in separate complaints, requested verification of the conduct of police officers in Security Center Niksic towards journalist Kadic and protection of journalists and unhindered performance of journalistic tasks. The complainants, referring to the allegations of the journalists, called on the Council to check, in accordance with its legal powers, whether the police officers acted lawfully by bringing journalist to the police station, interrupting him in his regular work and specific task. Concerns were expressed about allegations that police officers resorted to drastic measures, using force, deleting recordings from his phone about the treatment of two police officers towards a young man who was dragged while resisting arrest.

Journalist Velisa Kadic also participated in the previous session of the Council, where he presented the case in detail and answered numerous questions from all members of the Council. The Council submitted the available documentation and other attachments, which include the record of the notification collected from the citizen, signed by journalist Kadic without objections to the actions of the police and requesting a copy for himself, for information and statement to the complainants.

The Council informed the participants from the civil society about the procedure and its findings so far. All elements of the Kadic’s case were discussed and the available official documentation and material evidence were jointly reviewed and analyzed. The Council stated that the complaints and allegations of the journalists contained serious remarks. The Council assessed that full attention should continue to be paid to the verification of allegations that police officers obstructed the work of journalists. Representatives of the DPN of Montenegro and the TUMM agreed with the decision of the Council to give journalist Kadic an additional deadline in order to check again the technical possibilities for access to the content on the phone that is claimed to have been deleted. The DPN of Montenegro and TUMM  have announced additional support in this regard. After the session, the Council was informed that journalist Kadic had already accepted the offered help of the journalistic and trade union media organizations. Work on this case will continue.

Regardless of this case, cooperation and communication between the police and media workers (journalists, photojournalists, cameramen), moral and ethical issues in the work of police officers and journalists, the relationship of personal beliefs to professional standards and work requirements were discussed in detail. Also, the current achievements of civilian police supervision was treated. In this regard, the need for the Council for Civilian Control of Police Work to reaffirm its earlier recommendation to give fluorescent vests with the label “Press” for better recognition and visibility was jointly recognized. In 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro accepted the recommendation of the Council and distributed these vests.

The Council and the representatives of CCE, DPN Montenegro and TUMM jointly expressed the basic belief that police officers in every situation should enable the smooth operation of the media and the presence of journalists and refrain from unnecessarily restricting their freedom of movement or reporting. The Council decided, with the full consent of all organizations, to send appropriate recommendations to the Police Directorate in order to strengthen the capacity of police officers and journalists and strengthen mutual relations and cooperation through joint cooperation with journalists and media organizations. In this regard, it will be recommended to jointly organize a workshop Reporting in Crisis Situations and to publish a joint publication containing standards and guidelines for the treatment of journalists by the police.

The Council, also, considered complaints about the work of the police submitted by citizens N.I, B.V, P.N, M.B, J.G., all from Podgorica and Berane.

Serbia’s PM accuses N1 of REM’s ban of Vucic’s promotional video; REM denies

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Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic accused N1 on Tuesday of being responsible for the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) ban on airing President Aleksandar Vucic’ s video clip in which he talked with a little girl about his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) plans ahead of the June 21 general elections in Serbia, N1 reported.

N1 television’s headquarters in Luxembourg did not demand the ban of the video but asked for REM’s opinion whether it was in line with the Law on Protection of Minors.

Slobodan Cvejic from REM denied Brnabic’s claim and REM received numerous complaints about the video and made the decision in line with the Book of Rule. He said that N1TV was informed that the video violated the rules.

Speaking to reporters while touring the Science-Technology Center in Belgrade, Brnabic added SNS would respect the ruling of “the independent institution,” but added, “it is interesting that the REM Council decision is brought upon the demand by N1’s (United Media Director of Programming and Corporate Affairs) Ralf Manthey , from Luxembourg.”

However, REM clearly said it ruled to ban the controversial video because it violated the Book of Rules on the protection of minors in media.

REM also said it informed “Adria News S.à.r.l. Luxembourg – TV N1”, that the video was not in line with Book of Rules’ article 24, paragraph 4.

Reporteri bez granica: Poziv organima da istraže prijetnje Nikoli Vučiću

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‘Reporteri bez granica’ pozvali su policijske organe u BiH da istraže prijetnje upućene novinaru N1 televizije Nikoli Vučiću, s kojima se suočio nakon Twitter objave u kojoj je kritikovao porast ekstremne desnice u dijelovima zemlje.

Vučić je tretiran kao izdajnik u, kako navode, “provladinim medijima” te uznemiravan putem interneta jer je kritikovao porast ekstremne desnice u Zapadno-hercegovačkom kantonu, u kojem većinom čine Hrvati, navodi se u današnjoj Twitter objavi ove nevladine organizacije, koja poziva na reakciju domaćih istražnih vlasti.

Uvrede i prijetnje adresirane na reportera N1 ranije je osudio Harlem Desir, predstavnik OSCE-a za slobodu medija, pozvavši vlasti u BiH da osiguraju sigurnost Vučića i njegove porodice.

RSF condemns threats against N1’s Vucic, calls for police investigation

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SARAJEVO, 03.06.2020. – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) joined on Tuesday the condemnations of recent threats against N1’s reporter Nikola Vucic, urging Bosnia’s police bodies to look into the case.

After OSCE Representative on Media Freedom and Bosnia’s journalist association ‘BH Journalists’ condemned the threats Vucic received over a Twitter post and called for the urgent reaction of competent bodies, the NGO has joined.

“@RSF_inter calls on police to investigate threats of violence against journalist Nikola Vučić of N1 TV. He has been treated as traitor in pro-government media & harassed online after he criticized the rise of extreme right in the Croat-dominated West Herzegovina Canton,” the organisation tweeted.

BH Journalists: Public protest to the Cantonal Board of SDA Sarajevo due to interference in the work of TVSA

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SARAJEVO, 02.06.2020. – The Steering Committee of the BH Journalists Association is sending a public protest to the Cantonal Board of SDA Sarajevo for interfering in the work and functioning of the cantonal public Television Sarajevo (TVSA) and manipulative attempts to dismiss its director Duška Jurišić.

In a statement for the media, the president of the SDA Cantonal Board, Fikret Prevljak, announced the dismissal of Duška Jurišić and the appointment of a member of this party and former minister of education Safet Kešo to the position of TVSA director, explaining that there are “criminal charges written and even collected”. Jurišić later denied the allegations, explaining that the criminal charges were related to the operations of former TVSA leaders, who were also elected by the will of the SDA – a party with decades of rule in Sarajevo Canton (KS).

The BH Journalists Steering Committee considers it inadmissible to deceive the public about the reasons for the dismissal of Duška Jurišić and the political interference of SDA in the work of TVSA as a public media, which for nearly two decades has been facing political dismissals and appointments of leading people, members of supervisory boards and media assembly. In the last year and by the will of the ruling political structures of Sarajevo Canton (current and previous), TVSA has changed two supervisory boards and three general directors, as if it was a media owned by political parties and not public television paid by the citizens of this canton, and whose legal obligation is to work in the public interest! Following the political interests of SDA, it initiated procedures for the removal of the existing TVSA Supervisory Board, which further speaks of the party’s intentions to legally destabilize this media and deny Canton Sarajevo citizens the right to free, objective and fair public information.

The Steering Committee of BH Journalists calls on the Assembly and the Government of KS to prevent the illegal dismissal of the Supervisory Board and the General Director of TVSA, and to ensure stable operation of this media without commissioned dismissals, political pressures and direct interference of any political party in the work of this media outlet. Public interest, pluralism of information and independent editorial policy are fundamental values of the functioning of the media in a democratic society. The current authorities of KS must not, with their decisions and actions, question any of the stated values and repeat mistakes in the management of this media and the way of work from the previous period.

At the same time, the Steering Committee of BH Journalists calls on the Institution of Ombudsman, domestic and international organizations to prevent the political and legal destabilization of TVSA as a public media of all citizens of Sarajevo Canton.