Vetevendosje MP, Dimal Basha has used his speech in the Kosovo Parliament to continue his unprecedented attacks against media and members of the civil society.

“This Government is the only one to has stopped the flow of money towards media, and no cent goes to them. So, if we wanted to capture them, we would do what others did. But, the change shows we don’t want to capture them”, Basha said. This is an unacceptable attack against media freedoms and the plural media environment in Kosovo. Basha has singled out specifically, ECPMF media lawyer and activist, Flutura Kusari.

“It also matters who speaks. For example, we have Flutura Kusari who wants to dictate the entire Kosovo Parliament on how we should draft the law on IMC, whereas she is the same person who, in the name of freedom of expression, goes into the streets to protect Devolli [referring to her participation in the protest against shutting down of Klan Kosova owned by Devolli family].One cannot defend oligarchs in the name of media freedom, and nor can it extort this Republic.”, Basha said. The attack against Kusari is unacceptable, dangerous, and gender-based.

The accusations by Basha from the Parliament floor put Kusari in a dangerous situation, and aim to silence the critical voices of civil society Kusari, along with members of AJK and other actors of civil society have raised their concern about the IMC law within the Information Integrity Forum of NDI.

Our concerns have been reflected in the report of the Council of Europe report, which called on the Kosovo Assembly to not adopt the law as it is because it does not meet the Council of Europe criteria. The EU Office in Kosovo, alongside German and Italian embassies has also called on the Assembly to harmonize the law with European best practices, before adopting it.

Basha’s language is a reflection of the policies and work of Vetevendosje and the Government against media freedoms, freedom of expression, and media pluralism in Kosovo.

The editorial office of the online newspaper, Insajderi, has informed AJK about the threats they have received in the last two days following reports about the arrests made by the Kosovo Police in connection with money laundering.

They informed AJK that relatives of A.D., one of the arrested individuals, have made repeated threatening calls to their office. Additionally, someone claiming to be A.D.’s brother has threatened the journalists with their lives. Insajderi has reported the incident to the Police.

AJK is concerned about and strongly condemns the threats made against journalists, as they jeopardize their safety and seek to obstruct reporting on important security-related issues.

AJK urges the Kosovo Police and the Prosecutor’s Office to prioritize the case and take concrete actions.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition partners in standing in solidarity with the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, which has unwaveringly campaigned against the continued impunity for the 1999 murder of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija. New legal action brought by two of the individuals acquitted of Ćuruvija’s murder now threatens to undermine the foundation’s campaign for justice.

For over a decade, the Foundation has sought justice for Ćuruvija, an esteemed editor and publisher who was shot in front of his home in Belgrade in 1999. Twenty years later, four former state security officers were sentenced to a combined 100 years in prison for the murder. A 2021 retrial confirmed the guilty verdicts. However, in February 2024, the Belgrade Court of Appeal reversed course, acquitting the men of the murder charges – much to the shock of human rights defenders in Serbia and internationally.

The acquittal means that no one has been convicted for Ćuruvija’s murder, perpetuating a culture of failed accountability for journalists’ murders in Serbia, where other prominent cases, such as those of Milan Pantić and Dada Vujasinović, remain unresolved.

In February, the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation published a press release in which they vigorously expressed disagreement with the verdict. Two of the four acquitted officers, Milan Radonjić and Miroslav Kurak, have since sued the Foundation, requesting damages for “violation of honour and reputation”. This legal action threatens the foundation’s work to fight impunity for the killing of journalists in Serbia and to preserve the legacy of Slavko Ćuruvija.

Our coalition unequivocally supports the foundation’s crucial mission, which must continue. We renew our call for further efforts internationally and in Serbia to combat impunity for the killing of journalists, including those of Ćuruvija, Pantić, and Vujasinović.

The press freedom situation in Serbia continues to decline, with vexatious lawsuits against the media and persistent threats to journalist safety. We pledge to continue spotlighting the pressing need for justice and accountability in Slavko Ćuruvija’s and similar cases, and ensuring that those who threaten press freedom and journalistic integrity face international scrutiny.

Signed

• International Press Institute (IPI)
• The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
• ARTICLE 19 Europe
• OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
• Free Press Unlimited (FPU)

A workshop focusing on monitoring and reporting violations of women journalists’ rights took place in Prishtina on June 24 and 25.

The workshop was led by Neda Chalovska Dimovska, a gender and intersectionality expert, and was attended by researchers from the Regional Platform of the Western Balkans, Safe Journalists. 

During the workshop, researchers engaged in discussions on gender-based violence, the effects of gender inequality and violence on women journalists, appropriate methods for interviewing journalists who have faced violence or harassment, reporting protocols, and other relevant topics. 

Following the workshop, a report focusing on the rights of female journalists is scheduled to be published next year by SafeJournalists Network.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes Julian Assange’s release on 24 June as a significant victory for media freedom. The dropping of 17 of the 18 charges that he faced avoids the criminalisation of the normal journalistic practices of encouraging sources to confidentially share evidence of wrongdoing and criminality.

It should also allow the object of one of the most overblown prosecutions in history to enjoy a normal life for the first time in 14 years, including 1901 days in jail.

The IFJ has campaigned for the release of Assange since the publication of US charges against him in 2019. An IFJ observer has attended every day of his extradition hearings, providing reporting and commentary on proceedings. And on 18 June the IFJ’s executive mounted a protest outside HMP Belmarsh in the UK where Assange was held – probably the last ever prison-gate protest for the Wikileaks founder.

https://x.com/IFJGlobal/status/1803294051933802840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1803294051933802840%7Ctwgr%5Ef36c005768f0530cce5724e6b4b02dd1acc262f9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ifj.org%2Fmedia-centre%2Fnews%2Fdetail%2Fcategory%2Fpress-releases%2Farticle%2Fuk-assanges-release-is-a-massive-boost-for-free-speech

IFJ President Dominique Pradalié said: “Julian Assange is free. Victory for the right to inform and to be informed. Victory for journalists around the world.”

IFJ General secretary Anthony Bellanger added: “The attempted prosecution of Julian Assange cast a dark shadow over journalists, particularly those who cover national security issues. Had Assange gone to prison for the rest of his life, any reporter handed a classified document would fear facing a similar fate.”

Assange’s plea deal substantially lifts that threat – “although more than 500 journalists remain in prison around the world,” says IFJ.

Source: IFJ 

This month, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade confirmed two verdicts against KRIK, according to which this media should pay almost one million dinars in compensation and trial costs.

The National Anti-SLAPP Task Force supports the research website KRIK, which has faced the largest number of SLAPP-like lawsuits in the last three years, and especially in the last two weeks, with rulings that could have far-reaching consequences for freedom of expression in Serbia.

At the beginning of June 2024, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade confirmed the first-instance verdict by which KRIK was convicted for violating the presumption of innocence of Predrag Koluvija, who sued journalists because they wrote that Koluvija was an “accused narco boss” when reporting on the “Jovanjica 2” case. When deciding, the court did not take into account the entire text, but concentrated only on one phrase and did not accept the journalist’s explanation that the text used the expressions “accused and prosecution” and “according to the prosecution’s claims”. The court did not take into account the fact that Koluvija’s defense was also published, as well as the fact that it is a topic of great importance to the public.

The Court of Appeal in Belgrade, in a short time, passed another verdict against the editorial office of KRIK. The procedure was conducted based on a lawsuit filed by the commander of the police Witness Protection Unit and two of his associates due to a text from December 2021 in which KRIK announced that they, among others, filed a lawsuit against this newsroom.

In addition to the two final verdicts, at the beginning of May the journalists of the KRIK portal were sued by the judge of the Appellate Court in Belgrade, Dušanka Đorđević, because of the “Judge Who Judges” database in which the journalists researched the work of the judiciary, where she is also mentioned. One lawsuit is criminal and the other is civil. Judge Đorđević, in addition to damages, is asking for prison sentences for the journalists and a ban on work for a period of two years. In lawsuits filed on May 13 and 15, Judge Đorđević claims that journalists violated her privacy by publishing her name and position at the Court of Appeal in Belgrade, as well as details of the real estate she owns with her husband. She further claims that KRIK journalists threatened her safety and helped criminals locate her.

There are currently 15 other lawsuits pending against KRIK, which have the characteristics of a SLAPP. We are afraid that the government has decided to legally silence professional journalists and that this is just the beginning.

We fear that the government has finally decided to deal with independent media and journalists, and that KRIK is only the first on the list. We demand that the authorities stop stifling media freedom by abusing the judicial system, as well as provide support to independent media and ensure their work without fear of repression.

On this occasion, we call on the Government of Serbia to take all necessary steps as soon as possible in order to implement the Recommendation of the European Commission on the protection of journalists and human rights defenders who participate in public work from obviously unfounded or abusive court proceedings (SLAPP) and the Recommendation of CM/ Rec (2024) on Opposing the Use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) to resolve manifestly baseless or abusive lawsuits against public participation and protect journalists and human rights defenders in particular from such actions, with full respect for democratic values ​​and fundamental rights.

The National Anti-SLAPP Task Force in Serbia, consisting of:

Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)

Civic Initiatives

YUCOM

Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation

Partners Serbia

Belgrade Centre for Human Rights

Independent Journalists Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)

BIRN

The Court of Appeals in Belgrade confirmed the first-instance ruling which found that KRIK was liable for violating the presumption of innocence of Predrag Koluvija, who is on trial for allegedly organizing a criminal group that produced more than a ton and a half of marijuana. Koluvija sued KRIK because he was referred to as an “accused narco boss” in a news piece about the trial titled “Start of Jovanjica 2 Trial Scheduled.” According to the ruling, KRIK is required to pay him approximately 800 EUR in damages and court costs, while the entire process has cost the newsroom around 2,000 euros. This is the first definitive verdict against KRIK and the organization will use all remaining legal means – it will request a review by the Supreme Court and file a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court.

The Court of Appeals in Belgrade did not accept the explanation from KRIK’s appeal that the article in question was a report from an ongoing trial and that it clearly stated Koluvija was accused, not convicted – thus, an average reader could not be misled into believing Koluvija had been convicted.

The court did not find it relevant that in the article KRIK has used terms like „accused“ and „charges“ and „according to the prosecutor’s claims“, that Koluvija’s defense was also published in the same article, and that the topic was of great public importance.

During the trial, KRIK’s editor Stevan Dojčinović explained that journalists cannot use long and incomprehensible legal formulations in their articles, but rather use colloquial expressions that everyone understands.

“In the case of using only legal terms, every time we mention Koluvija, we would have to write that he is – accused as the organizer of an organized criminal group aimed at committing the criminal offenses of unauthorized production and trafficking of narcotic drugs,” Dojčinović explained.

He also pointed out that KRIK followed the example of leading world media like “The Guardian,” “The Washington Post,” and “Reuters”, which report in the same way and use the English term “accused narco boss” – the term which KRIK also used directly translated into Serbian.

Journalist associations and media organizations previously stated that KRIK did not violate the presumption of innocence and described Koluvija’s lawsuit as pressure on the newsroom and an attempt to silence them. They noted that the purpose of the lawsuits is to stop KRIK from reporting on “Jovanjica,” one of the most important cases in the country.

The judicial panel, chaired by Judge Zorica Đaković, concluded that by writing that Koluvija was an “accused narco boss” and referring to the “marijuana plantation” in the news report, KRIK “identified Koluvija as the perpetrator of a punishable criminal offense, despite the absence of a court decision.”

“The factual claims made about the plaintiff are false and naturally capable of causing emotional distress, and the plaintiff felt great shame after the article was published”, the Court of Appeals’ judgment states.

With this decision, the Court of Appeals confirmed the previous ruling issued by Judge Bojana Čogurić of the Higher Court in Belgrade.

According to the final ruling, KRIK is obliged to pay Koluvija approximately 300 EUR for the emotional distress caused and 500 EUR for court costs. However, taking into account attorney’s fees and court fees, the entire trial will cost KRIK around 2,000 euros.

This is the first definitive ruling against KRIK. KRIK will continue to fight for the truth by using the remaining legal means in the country – it will request a review by the Supreme Court and file a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court, and, if necessary, seek justice before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

“We believe that the published article could not have misled readers into thinking that Predrag Koluvija was legally convicted because that news piece, at the very beginning, explicitly states that the trial was just scheduled. Additionally, the article cites information obtained from the spokesperson of the Higher Court and details from the indictment. The terms ‘accused’, ‘charges’ are used in a way that makes it clear that these are the prosecution’s claims. At the same time, the article does not omit the fact that all the accused, including Koluvija himself, denied the charges,” said KRIK’s lawyer Kruna Savović.

This concluded one of the two lawsuits Koluvija filed against KRIK in 2021. Koluvija appeared in court accompanied by his lawyer Vladimir Đukanović, an influential member of the Serbian Progressive Party.

The second lawsuit Koluvija filed against KRIK is still ongoing. In this lawsuit, he seeks 2.8 million dinars for the emotional distress he claims to have suffered due to seven KRIK’s news pieces.

There are currently 16 lawsuits against KRIK and its journalists, with two of the latest being filed by Judge Dušanka Đorđević of the Belgrade Court of Appeals, seeking, among other things, prison sentences and a work ban for KRIK’s journalists.

KRIK considers these to be so-called SLAPP lawsuits, aimed at exerting pressure on the media to prevent them from covering certain topics.

We need your help to keep fighting against SLAPPs! You can make a donation in several ways – electronically, in the bank or via PayPal (for non-residents of the Republic of Serbia). Click for more details.

Source: KRIK