BANJA LUKA, 18.07.2019. – The Supreme Court of Republic of Srpska rejected as ungrounded the complaint of Marko Colic’s defense about his extended custody, so that Colic remains in custody after being sentenced to four years in prison for attempting murder of BNTV journalist Vladimir Kovacevic, confirmed the secretary of this court Jelena Despotovic.

Despotovic also said that this decision of the RS Supreme Court was delivered to the District Court in Banja Luka yesterday, which extended custody to Colic a few days ago.

On Friday, July 12, the District Court in Banja Luka announced a verdict finding the accused Marko Colic (32) guilty of the criminal offense of attempted murder of journalist Vladimir Kovacevic and sentencing him to a four-year jail term.

The time Colic spent in custody will be included into his sentence, said President of the Trial Chamber Branimir Jukic. In explanation of the verdict he said that Colic’s DNA traces were found on the telescopic bat used in the beating of Kovacevic, Srna reports.

(Oslobodjenje)

BELGRADE, 18.07.2019. – Serbia’s Commissioner for Protection of Equality condemned on Wednesday the “misogyny, sexism and offensive comments about the Danas daily reporter Snezana Congradin by a convicted war criminal Vojislav Seselj, the FoNet news agency reported.

Brankica Jankovic said discriminatory statements, insults and humiliation based on appearance, health condition or other personal characteristis were inadmissible and banned by law.

Mainly, she added, when they came from the lawmakers or other public figures.

Seselj, also the leader of the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS), and a deputy to the Republic Parliament, told the Assembly’s session that the journalist who said that the genocide was committed in Srebrenica should be sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He insulted Congradin because she published a reportage from Potocari, the gave site of Serbrenica’s massacre victims, saying that she was a journalist “in the country which committed the genocide and which hasn’t yet faced it, but instead, the whole society generally is even further from that.”

The Hague Tribunal for war crimes sentenced Seselj to ten-year imprisonment for crimes against humanity, including the inciting of ethnic cleansing in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia’s province of Vojvodina from August 1991 to September 1993.

He spent more than ten years in custody so he was freed after the sentencing.

Seselj remained an SRS member of the Parliament, and the opposition said it was against the law since he was a convicted war criminal.

Seselj was the party boss to the current President Aleksandar Vucic, who later split with the SRS and together with a majority of Radicals formed now ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

SKOPJE, 17.07.2019 – Journalists’ security is crucial to the existence of independent and professional media, as well as the exercise of the right to freedom of expression. Without the freedom of the media and quality information for the public interest, the functioning of the democratic processes in the country is not possible. Violence, harassment, and intimidation directed at journalists are attack on democracy. They have the effect of suppressing media freedom and freedom of expression.

In the latest European Commission Report on the Republic of North Macedonia published on May 29, it is stated, “the country is moderately prepared in the area of ​​freedom of expression and has made good progress in the last year.”

According to the Report, the climate for freedom of the media and freedom of expression continued to improve. However, it is essential public officials and political elites to demonstrate a higher level of tolerance towards criticism, thus supporting freedom of expression. The European Commission sent a message that the state should pay particular attention to the rapid and effective monitoring of all cases of physical and verbal violence against journalists by the police and judicial authorities.

As a separate paragraph in the Report, the last five cases of journalists’ intimidation in 2018 and 2019 were mentioned.

“However, there were two incidents alleged by senior government officials against the media. Politicians and public officials still need to show a higher degree of tolerance to criticism and to advance freedom of expression. The procedures for police conduct towards journalists and the registration of attacks should be improved. Law enforcement authorities and the Public Prosecutor’s Office should effectively monitor all incidents against journalists. The old cases of the most serious physical attacks on journalists (13) have not been resolved due to unprofessional behavior in the investigations”, the report of the media freedom report says.

In the Report, the Commission emphasizes the cooperation between the Ministry of the Interior and the Association of Journalists aimed at determining responsibility for incidents of physical and verbal abuse or threats against journalists.

Partially free country

The situation with the media freedom in 2018 and 2019 in the Republic of North Macedonia has been slightly improved, but serious systemic reforms that will create a favorable environment for smooth development of the media and development of professional journalism are lacking.

This year the country has a leap of 14 places in the ranking of the Reporters Without Borders organization for freedom of the press. It is now at 95^th place. However, despite the big leap, North Macedonia is among the last countries in the region. Only Montenegro (104^th place) and Bulgaria (111^th place) are behind. A few places ahead of North Macedonia is Serbia, which is at the 90^th place, Albania is ranked 82^nd in the ranking, Kosovo is 75^th, Greece at 65^th, Croatia at 64^th, and Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked 63^rd place.

The rating of this organization says:

“High representatives of the Government repeatedly insult journalists in North Macedonia. Violent attacks on media workers have become less common, but the long-standing culture of impunity is further felt: only small parts of the attacks that have taken place in recent years have been investigated and the perpetrators identified. “

The Republic of North Macedonia remains in the group of partially free countries according to the annual report, “Freedom House” entitled “Freedom in the World 2019”. This year the country will remain with a total rating of 3.5, on a scale where 1 is the most free, and 7 is the least free society.

In the region, North Macedonia is located behind Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, and Bulgaria, and slightly behind Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania, and is better than Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Memorandum of cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the OSCE

The process of improving the cooperation between the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and the Ministry of the Interior began with the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on September 29, 2017. The aim of the Memorandum was to demonstrate the political will of the Minister of Interior to institutionalize the problems of journalists and the readiness to end the policy of impunity for violence against journalists.

Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski pledged that the Ministry of Interior will do everything for the media workers to be able to do their job freely and safely.

The memorandum provides preparing the reporting protocol for high-risk events that will enable reporters to monitor events without having their security jeopardized.

On March 28, 2018, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed and between the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the AJM with aim to improve the safety of journalists and media workers, but also to improve the quality of their reporting.

One of the activities that emerged from the Memorandum of Cooperation was a series of workshops dedicated to the security of journalists when reporting from high-risk events, organized by the OSCE Mission in the country. The purpose of the workshops was to train police members on the importance of the role of the media in a democratic society that cannot function without free and professional media.

Last year, six training sessions were held for journalists and police officers in six cities at which was debated for increasing mutual trust and cooperation in order to find solutions that would enable both parties to fulfill their tasks smoothly and professionally.

Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, at one of the trainings, called on other institutions such as the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office to contribute their work to increasing the security of journalists and freedom of speech.

Upon completion of the training, “Safety Report for Journalists During High-Risk Events” was prepared to serve to identify the risks and to avoid the attacks and pressures faced by journalists, especially when reporting from high-risk events. Furthermore, the Manual serves to clarify the procedures and legal responsibilities of the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecutor’s Office in order to provide greater protection for journalists. In addition, the Manual offers practices and experiences of AJM and other international civil and political organizations from the prevention of attacks and pressures on journalists.

However, according to the latest annual report of the AJM for the indicators on the level of media freedom and security of journalists published on December 25, 2018, the journalists’ security last year noted some improvement, but the policy of impunity for the attackers of journalists is still present.

The number of attacks has been reduced by three times, and the first court verdicts have been passed against those who attacked journalists in the past. However, the policy of impunity in North Macedonia has deep roots. Of the 59 attacks, only two have been resolved so far.

The main reason for this is judicial practice in punishing attacks on journalists that is not consistent with the protection of information as a matter of public interest and a key component of a democratic society. Courts do not recognize journalists’ attacks as a special social danger, so cases are not resolved within a reasonable time, nor adequate.

Security trainings for journalists

Last year, the police officers with higher ranks in the hierarchy of the Ministry of Interior, i.e. commanders and chiefs attended the training.

This year, again, six workshops were held between journalists and police officers, but this time they were inspectors, police officers of general jurisdiction, and members of the Sector for Inspection and Traffic Accidents.

From May 13 to June 12, a series of workshops were organized in six cities around the country in cooperation between the Association of Journalists of Macedonia and the OSCE Mission in order to improve the safety of journalists. Workshops were held in Strumica (May 13), Ohrid (May 16), Shtip (May 23), Bitola (May 27), Kumanovo (June 10) and Tetovo (June 12) with journalists and police officers, and spokespersons the local Sectors of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Over two dozen journalists and police officers attended each workshop and exchanged experiences and views on how to act in various situations in order to improve co-operation and not to confront each other. The purpose of the workshop was how to improve communication between journalists and field officers.

At the workshops, the situation with the safety of journalists in the world and in the country was discussed, and the mechanisms for their protection were analyzed. In all six towns where workshops were held, specific scenarios were considered that jeopardized the safety of journalists. The roles of the participants in the debate were changed, i.e. the police officers were journalists, and the journalists were in the role of police officers.

The manner of reporting and acting of journalists and police officers in case of violent protests, traffic accidents, football matches, court reporting, during the preparation of a research story, pride parade was analyzed.

The various screening scenarios that have been analyzed have shown that neither journalists nor police officers in certain situations know enough own responsibilities  and competencies. Problems arise because there are no documents or protocols on the manner in which the police acts during the media coverage of certain events. On the other hand, there are situations when journalists violate ethical standards and report contrary to legal regulations.

When analyzing the scenario with violent protests in front of the Parliament, some of the younger police officers said that police could use force on a journalist or camera operator if they did not obey the order issued by the state leadership to stop reporting.

When analyzing the traffic accident that witnesses were journalists, it was discussed whether journalists had the right to record the accident and how to report them professionally. Police officers had remarks to reporters that they sometimes hindered the investigation, and journalists reacted that the police were limiting them to do their utmost to do their job.

• In Strumica, the journalists mentioned several cases when the police forbade them to report from public place and public event, especially from car accident, because they were ordered by their superiors
• In Ohrid, the police officers mentioned several cases when journalists did not comply with the rules of the MoI protocol
• There was a specific event in Shtip, where the judicial authorities did not adequately inform the journalists about a traffic accident with a victim
• In Bitola, part of the participants’ debate were concrete cases when journalists in the performance of their work were under pressure and interrupted by businessmen, but the prosecution and judicial institutions did not protect them
• In Kumanovo, the police officers mentioned the armed conflict of the Divo Naselje on 9 and 10 May 2015, when neither the journalists knew how to protect themselves when reporting from a high-risk event, nor did the police had a protocol for dealing with the media that were on the field
• In Tetovo, there was a debate between police officers and journalists, for reporting from a traffic accident where the journalist witnessed the event. Debates and discussions about whether journalists are overtaking ethical standards when reporting on family tragedies

Journalists from all six cities shared good and bad experiences of interacting with the police, and police officers did the same. It was particularly interesting to replace the roles because both journalists and police officers were closely familiar with how the police hierarchy and media coverage function on the ground.

The journalists emphasized that police spokespersons, which serve as a bridge in the exchange of information with the public, play especially important role in the communication between the police and the media. The journalists had positive reviews about the manner of communication with the spokespersons.

Conclusions

• Police officials and media representatives agreed that both of them work for the same purpose – protection of the public interest
• Journalist must comply with the legal regulations in the reporting
• Sensationalism can harm the work of the police
• Journalist should be careful when reporting so as not to harm the police investigation
• Journalist must be protected from physical threats or attacks
• It is necessary to improve the cooperation between journalists and the Public Prosecutor’s Office

Recommendations

• More cooperation and transparency is needed by the Public Prosecutor
• It is necessary to clear all attacks on journalists
• It is necessary further to improve the communication between journalists and the police
• Police officers need to have a protocol for dealing with journalists
• The police must record all attacks on journalists
• The prosecutors and judges must act swiftly and effectively in cases of threats or attacks against journalists
• Implementation of training for representatives of the prosecution and the police regarding the protection of journalists
• Analysis of the provisions of the Criminal Code in order to amend certain provisions that would lead to a higher level of protection of journalists
• Establishing a single platform for reporting and monitoring the processing of criminal offenses against journalists

We pay special attention to the need for systematic work with aim fully meeting the international standards regarding freedom of information. Promoting only on certain segments cannot produce good results without reforming the complete legal framework and practice in this area.

Journalists will not be safe as long as the institutions do not fully investigate the final attack on journalists and the responsible ones are not brought to justice.

This text was prepared as a result of implementation of the joint training activities supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Skopje and the OSCE Mission to Skopje. The content of this article is the sole responsibility of the AJM and its authors and can in no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the two international partner organizations.

PODGORICA, 17.07.2019. – Trade Union of Media of Montenegro asks from the competent authorities to find a way to ensure the safety of the editor of In4S portal Gojko Raicevic, who has repeatedly stated that he does not feel secure. We realize that this is a challenge because Raicevic thinks that he is most threatened by members of the police and the prosecution, but this makes their obligation to make sure that nothing happens to him bigger.

Raicevic was taken today to a hearing at the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office where he was questioned about the phone conversations of Montenegrin officials and their close relatives, which were published by the In4S portal. The SMCG does not justify or encourage Raicevic’s act of not responding to the prosecution’s appeal, but we recall three cases of beatings that he experienced during the autumn of 2015, that were carried out by the members of the Police Directorate and haven’t yet been solved. More precisely, in almost four years, the state of Montenegro has failed to find out who are the police officers who brutally beated Raicevic. That’s why we should not be surprised with his attitude and the negative opinion he has towards members of the police and the prosecution.

We also recall that Raicevic had asked at least three times for the competent authorities to assess his safety, and that had not happened. It also means that he lives for years under the conditions of fear and threat, and that he is under constant and systematic pressure which is unacceptable.

We recall, as did Raicevic during the hearing, that journalists are not obliged to reveal their sources and we call on the prosecution to not put pressure on media employees in this way because journalists expect from the state cooperation and protection, not repression and pressure.

Main Board SMCG

BEOGRAD, 17.06.2019. – Predsednik NUNS-a Željko Bodrožić, komentarišući uvrede i pretnje predsednika SRS Vojislava Šešelja u Skupštini, upućene novinarki lista Danas, kaže da je prvo predsednica odnosno predsedavajući sednici Narodne skupštine trebalo da reaguje.

Podsetimo, šef radikala i haški osuđenik Vojislav Šešelj izvređao je i pogrdno nazivao novinarku “Danasa” Snežanu Čongradin jer je u reportaži iz Potočara, između ostalog, navela da je “novinarka u državi koja je počinila genocid i koja ni dan danas ne da se nije suočila sa tim, već je celokupno društvo u načelu sve dalje od tog procesa”.

Govor mržnje i pretnje novinarki “Danasa” osudila su kako novinarska udruženja, organizacije, stranke, tako i redakcija tog dnevnog lista. Složni su u oceni da je Šešeljevo ponašanje neprihvatljivo, ali ne i neočekivano, jer je, kažu, to obrazac njegovog ponašanja već preko tri decenije, ali je, dodaju, izostanak reakcije u Skupštini pokazatelj da država podstiče podgrevanje atmosfere netolerancije i pritiska na novinare.

Predsednik NUNS-a kaže da je posebna je stvar što se sve to odigralo u zgradi Narodne skupštine.

“I ako se već pozivamo na zakon, Vojislav Šešelj nakon osude u Haškom tribunalu ne može više da bude narodni poslanik. I ova njegova izjava ide na dušu vlastima, onima koji ne žele da mu, po zakonu, oduzmu mandat i da spreče dalje njegovo divljanje u Narodnoj skupštini, a uopšte i u javnosti”, kaže Bodrožić.

Glavni i odgovorni urednik lista Danas Dragoljub Draža Petrović kaže da ako država ne bude reagovala – pokazaće da je Šešeljev saučesnik.

“Šešelj je ovim samo nastavio ono što je radio ’95, kada je, sa još jednim kolegom, pozivao da se za jednog Srbina ubije 100 muslimana – sa iste govornice Narodne skupštine vređa i preti našoj novinarki zato što je napisala jedan emotivni tekst o svom boravku u Srebrenici. I nekako mi se čini da, ako država ne bude reagovala na ovo, na način da Šešelja bar pozove na neki informativni razgovor, jer su u pitanju pretnje, da će vlast pokazati da je saučesnik Vojislava Šešelja”, naveo je Petrović.

PODGORICA, 16.07.2019. – None of the cases of attacks on journalists can be considered as solved until perpetrators and orderers aren’t condemn and until they find themselves behind bars.

This was said by the Nikola Markovic, President of the Commission for Monitoring Investigation of Attack on Journalists, after the Government praised the police because they solved each of four cases from 2018 and one case of threats from this year.

“The Government will continue supporting media freedom and providing a safe and  incentive ambience for their work”, the Government said in a statement.

According to the Commission, in 2018, there were four attacks on journalists of newspaper and TV “Vijesti”: two on Sead Sadikovic – threats and firing of an explosive device, attempted murder of Olivera Lakic and threats  to Jelena Jovanovic.

The President of the Commission believes that the Government was referring specifically to these cases in statement, which, according to him, is for every conviction because it shows that there is no sincere will to solve the attacks, but to get cheap political points in front of the domestic and international public.

“In particular, this refers to such serious cases as the attempt to murder of Olivera Lakic, which happened in 2018, and which later in a magical way was re-qualified as causing serious bodily harm…The state authorities were obliged to additionally be precise and elementally correct when it comes to the alleged solving of the attack on Olivera Lakic. The Commission does not have information that an indictment is filed against someone, and, according to my data, Olivera was not informed that her case was solved. According to the information I have as Commission President, no one has contacted Lakic from the Prosecution since June last year, and it is even more terrible that she was informed of the alleged solving of the attack on her as well as all other citizens through the media”, said he for “Vijesti”.

According to him, the quality of the investigation is also indicated by the fact that since February 19, when it was announced that the case was resolved, they refuse, despite Lakic’s requirements addressed to the Ivica Stankovic the Supreme State Prosecutor, to submit her the case files.

“Possible operational knowledge and indications can not serve as evidence that this act has been resolved, but they represent the toughest manipulation. After all, we are witnesses that many cases have remained only on operative knowledge. For example, when it comes to the murder of Dusko Jovanovic, in June 2004, the police officially announced that they had operational knowledge of who killed the editor-in-chief of „Dan“. For the past 15 years, we are waiting for the competent authorities to turn these operative findings into evidence that will result in an indictment, arrest, and judgment”, said the President of the Commission.

He emphasizes that the Government and the competent state authorities are obliged to tell the public who ordered, and who shot at Olivera Lakic.

“For me, as long as that does not happen, attack on her wont be solved and it will be a sort of mockery of both victims and justice”, he said.

Commenting on the government’s statement of all solved cases, Milka Tadic Mijovic the President of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro, claims that this is another in a series of deceptions of the authorities.

“We all know that the case of journalist Olivera Lakic is not even in the form of being resolved. But by their old custom, they fabricate things and spread fake news. The Government is one of the biggest producers of fake news in Montenegro and what was announced yesterday, is one new fake news in a row. This news is a continuity of the deception, because in previous cases they fabricated the truth and produced fake witnesses and found volunteers to spread lies to solve cases of attacks on journalists”, said Tadic Mijovic.

She added that the extent to which Montenegro and its authorities deal with the issue of media freedom and attacks are best illustrated by the fact that the state constantly falls on the Word Press Freedom Index of the Reporters Without Borders and other international organizations who are dealing with issue of media freedom.

“After all, what to say when the President of the state (Milo Dukanovic) in the case of the murder of Dusko Jovanovic claimed that he knew who was behind this crime, but never, what his human and presidential duty was, did not inform the prosecution and the public about what he knows“, she concluded.

Only cases that do not indicate corruption and crime are solved

Nikola Markovic the President of the Commission, said that it is obvious that there is a rule when it comes to resolving attacks on journalists.

“Every case that does not deal with high corruption, the connivance of the authorities and organized crime is resolved immediately. Such are attacks on colleagues Sadikovic and Adrovic and colleague Jovanovic, but not the attack on Olivera Lakic”, he said for “Vijesti”.

BEOGRAD, 16.07.2019. – Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije osuđuje uvrede upućene novinarki Danasa Snežani Čongradin koje je u Narodnoj skupštini Republike Srbije izrekao Vojislav Šešelj, poslanik i lider Srpske radikalne stranke.

Šešelj je reagujući na tekst Snežane Čongradin „Zašto nisam napisala izveštaj iz Srebrenice?“ novinarki uputio niz neprimerenih uvreda i dodao: „a ja bih svakog ovakvog novinara, koji ovo napiše poslao na 20 godina robije“.

NUNS smatra da je ovakvo komentarisanje i vređanje novinarke od strane javnog funkcionera neprihvatljivo a pogotovo kada je izrečeno u Narodnoj skupštini.

NUNS je više puta upozoravao na neprimereno ponašanje Vojslava Šešelja i drugih poslanika u Narodnoj skupštini prema novinarima i smatra da je ovakvo ponašanje direktna posledica stvaranja atmosfere netolerancije prema slobodi izražavanja i informisanja. Na ovaj način javni funcioneri ne samo da ne osuđuju napade i pritiske na novinare već podstiču takvo ponašanje.

NUNS poziva predsedavajuću u Narodnoj skupštini da reaguje na ovakve istupe Vojslava Šešelja i ostalih poslanika i zahteva od najviših državnih organa da osude takvo ponašanje javnih funkcionera.

Sekretarijat NUNS-a

16. jul 2019.