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Ćulibrk: Izgleda da ćemo morati do Strazbura

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BEOGRAD, 09.11.2018. – Ja sam na početku ovog procesa pretpostavljao da ćemo morati da idemo do Evropskog suda za ljudska prava u Strazburu.

Posle ove odluke, još je veća verovatnoća da će se to desiti – kaže za Danas Milan Ćulibrk, glavni i odgovorni urednik nedeljnika NIN, komentarišući vest da je Vrhovni kasacioni sud ukinuo pravosnažnu presudu kojom je utvrđeno da ovaj nedeljnik, glavni urednik i autorka teksta nisu povredili čast i ugled ministra policije Nebojše Stefanovića tekstom „Stefanović: Glavni fantom Savamale“.

Ćulibrk dodaje da će nastaviti da se bore i da je samo pitanje vremena kada će pobediti.

O tome da je Vrhovni kasacioni sud ukinuo presudu, juče je u saopštenju izvestilo Udruženje novinara Srbije (UNS). Sama presuda, u koju je Danas imao uvid, doneta je još 30. maja i još uvek nije bila prosleđena strankama.

Obrazlažući odluku, veće Vrhovnog kasacionog suda je istaklo da iako su „prava ličnosti političara i javnih funkcionera suženija nego istovrsna prava drugih lica“ ipak je i „sloboda izražavanja ograničena i kada su oni predmet izveštavanja i kritike njihovim pravom na čast i ugled“. Kako se ističe u presudi, pravo na čast i ugled pripada svim građanima, pa shodno tome zaštita prava na čast i ugled obuhvata i političare, čak i kad ne postupaju u privatnom svojstvu. Međutim, dodaje se, u tim slučajevima moraju se uslovi za zaštitu odmeriti sa interesima društva na otvorenu diskusiju o političkim stvarima. Prema mišljenju veća Vrhovnog kasacionog suda, Apelacioni sud to nije učinio.

„Trebalo je odmeriti ugroženost prava tužioca na dostojanstvo ličnosti i ugled u odnosu na pravo medija na slobodu izražavanja i tek nakon takvog upoređivanja i odmeravanja utvrditi čije pravo je više ugroženo spornim tekstom. Drugostepeni sud nije tako postupio i nije izvršio procenu i odmeravanje ugroženosti navedenih prava, već je pružio zaštitu samo pravu medija na slobodu izražavanja“, navodi se u presudi kojom je predmet vraćen nižem stepenu.

Povreda časti i ugleda

Podsetimo, Viši sud u Beogradu je autorku teksta „Stefanović: Glavni fantom Savamale“ Sandru Petrušić, glavnog urednika Milana Ćulibrka i Društvo za novinsko izdavačku delatnost „NIN“ d.o.o. u prvom stepenu obavezao da zbog povrede časti i ugleda ministru unutrašnjih poslova Nebojši Stefanoviću isplate 300.000 dinara naknade štete. Apelacioni sud je ovu odluku preinačio i obavezao Stefanovića da Sandri Petrušić i Milanu Ćulibrku isplati 89.700 dinara za troškove postupka.

Naprednjaci pokušavaju da pretnjama ugase Danas

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BEOGRAD, 08.11.2018. – Uvrede koje su za skupštinskom govornicom izrekli šef poslaničke grupe SNS-a Aleksandar Martinović i njegov zamenik Vladimir Orlić, dovodeći list Danas u kontekst sa Gebelsom i Hitlerom, predstavljaju ne samo pritisak na medije već i pretnju za novinare našeg lista, saglasni su sagovornici Danasa.

Zbog učestalih pretnji i kleveta na račun našeg lista, novinarska udruženja planiraju sastanak sa predstavnicima izvršne i zakonodavne vlasti krajem meseca.

Bivši predsednik DS Bojan Pajtić ocenjuje za Danas da naprednjački režim pritiscima na mali broj nezavisnih medija potvrđuje svoju fašističku prirodu.

– NJihova namera je da pretnjama, uvredama i ucenama nasilno uguše svaki nezavisan glas u ovoj zemlji. Nećemo im dozvoliti da ućutkaju „Danas“, jedan od retkih preostalih svetionika slobode na zaklanoj medijskoj sceni Srbije – ističe Pajtić.

Aleksandar Martinović je optužio list Danas da „vodi harangu protiv SNS i nedužnih ljudi“, koja je „nezabeležena još od vremena Gebelsa i Adolfa Hitlera“, dok je njegov zamenik Orlić konstatovao da su „list Danasoid“ i novinari tog lista „sramota za srpsko novinarstvo“.

Narodni poslanik Đorđe Vukadinović istupe naprednjaka ocenjuje kao težak pritisak na medije, s obzirom da to čini visoki funkcioner vladajuće stranke i šef poslaničke grupe SNS-a.

– Ja, lično, a koliko sam video, ni moje kolege iz opozicije, nikada nisam, tj. nismo mahali čak ni Informerom ili tzv. „novinama“ Alo, iako bi za to svaki dan bilo razloga. A o licemernom pokušaju identifikacije sa žrtvama Gebelsa i Hitlera da i ne govorimo – naglašava Vukadinović za Danas.

Predsednik UNS-a Vladimir Radomirović kaže za naš list da je poređenje Danasa sa Gebelsom i Hitlerom opasno preterivanje „koje nije samo pretnja novinarima vašeg lista već vodi relativizaciji nacističkih zločina od kojih se naš narod nikad neće oporaviti“. Sličnog mišljenja je i generalni sekretar NUNS-a Svetozar Raković.

– Sramotan i skandalozan nastup šefa poslaničkog kluba SNS samo je dodatno potvrdio koliko je iskrena želja vlasti da se poboljša katastrofalna medijska situacija u Srbiji. Podsećam da kredibilna istraživanja uvek pokazuju da je dnevnik Danas među veoma retkim medijima koji su privrženi profesionalnoj novinarskoj etici i javnom interesu. Podrška Danasu! – poručio je Raković.

Programski urednik NDNV Dinko Gruhonjić kaže za Danas da je Martinović u „podeli poslova“ unutar interesne „ratnoprofiterske organizacije“ koja se cinično zove SNS očigledno zadužen za linčovanje profesionalnih medija i novinara.

– On to radi s posebnim zadovoljstvom, zato što zna da malo šta toliko prija vođi, koliko blaćenje novinara iz poganih usta. Nedostatak novinarskog talenta, nažalost, sadašnji vođa a nekadašnji Drakon u obliku ministra informisanja nikad nam nije oprostio. A imenovani poslanik je samo blebetavi megafon, koji ne čuje ništa, uprkos određenim komparativnim prednostima koje ima – zaključuje Gruhonjić.

Poslanici vlasti uglavnom o Danasu govore kao o novinama koje su daleko od objektivnosti, a naš list nazivaju pežorativno Danasoid, aludirajući na tabloide. U tome prednjači šef poslaničke grupe naprednjaka i njegov zamenik Orlić. Inače, na pitanja novinara Danasa poslanici vladajuće većine uglavnom ne žele da odgovaraju. Broj sagovornika Danasa iz SNS sveo se na par „hrabrih“. Na meti kritike Martinovića samo prošlog meseca bili smo više puta. Našim listom je mahao za skupštinskom govornicom, interpretirao tekstove, komentarisao ih kao izmišljene i neobjektivne. Često smo mu bili povod za poslanička pitanja i polemiku, a da nikad nije odgovorio na neko naše pitanje.

Martinović se, postavljajući pitanje kada će poverenik za informacije od javnog značaja Rodoljub Šabić prestati da radi za obaveštajne službe, dotakao i našeg lista. „Pre nekoliko dana za list Danas, koji je poznat po objektivnom pisanju o Aleksandru Vučiću i SNS, izneo je čitav niz neistina“, rekao je Martinović, podsećajući da je Šabić ljude iz SNS optužio da su botovi, koji mu prete metkom u glavu, nožem i koji ga vređaju prostački. Ovo je samo jedna od prozivki na račun našeg lista, kojim se naprednjaci obračunavaju ne samo sa Danasom već i sa političkim neistomišljenicima.

Sastanak sa vlastodršcima

„Novinarska udruženja očekuju da do kraja meseca bude organizovan sastanak sa predstavnicima izvršne i zakonodavne vlasti na kojem će se razgovarati i o verbalnim napadima na Danas“, kaže Vladimir Radomirović.

Vasiljević bez komentara

Iako je prisustvovala brojnim sastancima sa predstavnicima novinarskih udruženja, Suzana Vasiljević, savetnica za medije predsednika Srbije Aleksandra Vučića, nije želela da komentariše izjave Aleksandra Martinovića. „Pa kako ja, kao savetnik predsednika, da komentarišem ponašanje poslanika“, poručila nam je Vasiljević.

„Poslanici SNS nastavljaju napade“

Medijska koalicija najoštrije osuđuje napade poslanika SNS na list Danas i smatra da predstavljaju još jedan udar na medijske slobode i namerno ugrožavanje bezbednosti novinara ovog lista. „Nažalost, praksa da poslanici vladajuće stranke prozivaju medije i novinare i crtaju im metu na čelu, nastavlja se i pored uveravanja predstavnika vlasti da želi, u saradnji sa novinarskim i medijskim asocijacijama, da radi na poboljšanju medijske scene Srbije i povećanju sigurnosti novinara i drugih medijskih radnika“, navode iz Medijske koalicije.

Media ownership transparency and journalists’ rights

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SARAJEVO, 08.11.2018.-The situation in the media field in BiH has actually never been on a satisfactory level, as it cannot be considered satisfactory at present either, starting with journalists’ rights to media ownership transparency.

Many questions raised still are still to be answered, which in general outlines the poor review of media and freedom which in this field does not exist in reality. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presented the 2018 press freedom barometer and Bosnia was on the 62nd place according to the index of media liberties/freedoms.

However, journalists are still deprived of rights, they have to work without legal contracts, and they are often threatened and have no access to information pursuant to legal and existing legal provisions. Law on media ownership transparency could contribute to an improvement of working, social and professional status of journalists.

Milan Kovac, BN Radio and TV house (local TV and Radio station) journalist, who works at the informative and news desk, reckons that this legal provision “would not immediately initiate, but it would eventually instigate the settling of chaotic situation in the media field in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would look from long-term perspective result in better and improved status of journalists and media staff in general”. The fact is that the ever-growing number of local websites is increasing and that the audience is not even familiar with the professional organization, functioning, ethics codes and professional standards of journalists’ reports.

Dragana Trninic, Head of Department of Journalism and Communication Studies with the Faculty of Political Studies in Banjaluka, claims that “the audience is always eager to discover and find out new information and new contents that they find interesting and very few people pay attention to impressum of website through which they receive information and the source they use to get certain information. This is a consequence of general media illiteracy. Audience considered as media literate group shall not lose trust in media that have their impressum, because some other media houses do not have it posted on their website pages; instead, this will represent one of the most important criteria for them in choosing media house they prefer.

The occurrence of media websites without impressum can be changed through media regulation and media literacy assessment for the audience that would eventually, by the gradual development competencies, avoid this kind of media houses”. Furthermore, the practice of copying and sharing the contents from certain websites; websites without impressum results in the emerging of false and incorrect information.

Andrijana Pisarevic, SrpskaCafe.com editor and vice – president of Media Union (Syndicate) and Graphic Artists of RS emphasized: ”We have seen such case recently on RTRS. RTRS shared biased information from the particular website (also without impressum) claiming that British and American Services intensify their work with the purpose of destabilizing the official government in the Republic of Srpska. These kinds of cases do not emerge accidentally; they rather appear intentionally and deliberately. Therefore, if someone working for the Public RTV Broadcasting Service is doing this, what or who can stop the others to do the same thing and follow the same path? The principle includes the following: present a website without impressum and it will serve to mislay the traces. You could afterward post unchecked information without author’s signature, statements or verifying.

Additionally, you should “share” same information on your website referring to the “source”, even though the responsible people for posting such information, regardless whether they are true or false information actually do not exist in reality”. Media illiterate audience, do not only fail to pay attention to impressum (with many of them not even knowing the meaning of this word), but they also do not pay attention to the author of the text/article they view or read.

Brankica Spasenic, a female journalist believes that the audience is mostly focused on the content itself. “Our public is still mostly biased towards old-fashioned and traditional media sources. In this sense, they sometimes “bound or tie” with particular TV figure, so, therefore, they believe to everything that this figure states and says in public, rather than relying on other sources. As far as texts and articles are concerned, I doubt that concrete full name beneath the text/article they view or read, means anything to them”, said Spasenic.

Approximate information, regarding the number of journalists that are deprived of legal rights by their employers (as far as legal and obligatory duties are concerned), shall remain unknown. We also do not know whether media houses work and operate according to legal law provisions, whether they pay contributions, what the number of journalists working illegally is in reality and other associated facts. Legal inspection officials should take care of these issues, so journalists could; as a result, perform their professional work in a much better and more appropriate way.

This text is a part of E-Bulletin– seventh edition of special serial of BHN online bulletin implemented through the “Media and Public Reputation” (origin. “Mediji i javni ugled”) project, also representing a contribution to public debate regarding the transparency of media ownership and upholding and encouraging the passing of set of laws aimed to advance media field and information market in BiH.

Media coalition: Serbia’s ruling party MPs attack media again

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BELGRADE, 08.11.2018. – The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) deputies attacked the Belgrade Danas daily, telling the parliament the newspaper’s editorial policy was unseen since the Nazi time, prompting a strong condemnation from the Media coalition in Serbia, the Beta news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Coalition said in a statement the latest attacks coming from the SNS, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, were “yet another blow to media freedom, deliberately endangering the safety of the daily’s journalists,” and added that such incidents put in doubt the meaning of further negotiations between media organisations with the authorities on drafting a media strategy.

Aleksandar Martinovic, the SNS deputy club president, accused the independent Danas newspaper of “conducting an anti-SNS campaign unrecorded since the time of (Adolf) Hitler and (Joseph) Goebbels.”

His deputy Vladimir Orlic added “the Danas newspaper”, and its journalists were “a shame for journalism in Serbia.”

 “The practice of the ruling party’s deputies to vilify media and journalists and draw a target on them is continuing,” despite the regime representatives’ claims they wanted to work on improving the media scene in Serbia and increase the safety of media people,” the coalition’s statement said.

“We asked the politicians to immediately stop using their power positions to brand the journalists and media the enemies of the people, foreign agents and traitors,” it added.

The Coalition, made up of the Independent Associations of Journalists in Serbia, the Independent Union of Vojvodina’s Journalists, the Association of Independent Electronic Media, Business Association Local Press and the Association of Online media, said they had already informed the OSCE, European Commission, the Council of Europe and other international organisation about the latest attacks.

Nastavlja se sudska kampanja SNS-a: Živkoviću stigla nova Malovićeva tužba!

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PANČEVO, 07.11.2018. – Visoki funkcioner SNS-a Branko Malović podneo je novu tužbu protiv slobodnog novinara Nenada Živkovića, ovog puta zbog teksta o doživljajima Panča Pravednog, objavljenog na našem sajtu.

Branko Malović, koordinator Srpske napredne stranke za Južnobanatski i Podunavski okrug, potpredsednik Izvršnog odbora SNS-a, ugledan preduzetnik sa Novog Beograda (tačnije, vlasnik SUR „Domino” u bloku 34), i uzoran građanin, zbog svojih dosadašnjih aktivnosti nepoznat organima gonjenja, podneo je 15. oktobra Osnovnom sudu u Pančevu, preko Ortačkog advokatskog društva „Stojković” (Njegoševa 28A, Beograd) novu tužbu (u dva primerka i sa tri priloga) protiv našeg novinara Nenada Živkovića, koju je ovaj uredno preuzeo 5. novembra u ovdašnjoj palati pravde.
Ovoga puta naš drug Branko je osetio neizdržive duševne boli zbog kojih traži satisfakciju na sudu i nadoknadu nematerijalne štete u iznosu od pola miliona dinara jer se prepoznao u delu Živkovićevog teksta „Kakve kazne čekaju naprednjake, kad prođe nji’ovo (izvodi iz buduće istorije)” (videti ovde), koji je na našem sajtu objavljen 1. oktobra. Sudijnica Milica Filipović je obavezala tuženog Živkovića da u roku od 30 dana od prijema tužbe sa prilozima podnese sudu odgovor na tužbu.

Živkovićevi advokati će do 19. novembra odgovoriti na prethodnu tužbu, koju je koodinator Malović podneo zbog teksta „Partijska država + proveren kadar = naprednjačko vladanje”, objavljenog 9. jula ove godine (videti ovde), o čemu je naš sajt pisao 22. oktobra (videti ovde).

Inkriminisani segmenti

Maloviću je, sudeći prema tužbi u koju je naša redakcija imala uvida, zasmetao dijalog fiktivnih likova Jove Burenceta i Mileta Valjuške, kome je „prisustvovao” isto tako fiktivni lik Pančo Pravedni (italik i bold advokat Dušan Stojković):

– Evo pričamo malo o ovim našim velmožama. Šta smo doživeli, moj Pančo, da nema skoro nijedan Pančevac među ovi naši političari. A ovi što pretekli, ej, šta su oni sebi dozvolili. Da im jedan novobeogradski kamiondžija komanduje. On okom, oni skokom! Sve neki gradski momci, pomislio bi – onaj bašibozuk i batinaše ne računam, njih tek treba da školujemo – a manji od makovog zrna kad ih postrojava onaj kabadahija. Onaj što šamara žene.

– Nije kamiondžija, nego kafedžija i nije vozio kamion, nego limuzinu, u Ministarstvu rudarstva, za vreme muža Tomine prije – ispravlja ga Jova.

– Kako god, on je njima sve i svja. A ništa ne ume, ko ni ovi kojima naređuje, sad da l’ su iz Pančeva il’ sa strane, svejedno je. Al’ njih samo i zanima kako neke novce da zdipe, a za to ti ne treba mnogo nauke kad te kadija i tuži i sudi… – kaže Mile dok gasi pikavac i odmah otvara kutiju, vadi novu cigaretu.

Inkriminisan je i ovaj deo Jovinog i Miletovog „razgovora”, koji je „pribeležio” Pančo:

– Kako kojim Malovićem, pa Babaserom.

– A Baabaseerom, pa tako reci. Kako šta ćemo, njega ćemo po metodama Divljeg zapada, pa ta kaubojština mu je bliska, to razume.Malovića u katran pa u perje, pa nogom u dupe preko Pančevačkog mosta odakle je i došao, pa nek se tamo u Beogradu bakću s njim, neka oni vide šta će.

– Čekaj, čekaj, kako to misliš, to, šut u but, pre ili posle istrage?

– Pre, pa kod nas u Pančevu će da bude zatvor, ali nemamo to Tužilaštvo za organizovani, kako beše, za organizovani k…

– Kontroverzni biznis!!

Zastupnik tužitelja Stojković smatra da je „tužilac još jednom u tekstu tuženog označen kao kafedžija, vozač i babasera koji je kao takav nesposoban da obavlja posao” (ne kaže koji). On dodaje da „u ovom tekstu tuženi ide i dalje navodeći da tužilac ništa ne ume, da svoj posao obavlja po ‘metodama divljeg zapada’ i da mu je bliska ‘kaubojština’, te da tužilac treba da ide u zatvor kao i da se bavi organizovanim kriminalom i ‘kontroverznim biznisom’”. Onda citira član 23, stav 1. Ustava RS („Ljudsko dostojanstvo je neprikosnoveno i svi su dužni da ga poštuju”). Ostatak tužbe je, praktično, od reči do reči prekopiran iz prethodne.

Gde ima smeha, nema straha

Očigledno je da Maloviću, kao važnom šrafu kartela i interesne grupe koja se predstavlja i spolja liči na političku organizaciju, smeta kritika, podsmeh, sprdnja i satira, a ako je dotle došlo (a jeste) onda teško Srbiji. Nijedna totalitarna struktura nema odgovor na ismevanje, jer em ne razume smeh, pošto nije duhovita, em oseća da tamo gde ima smeha nema straha, što znači ni na njemu zasnovane poslušnosti i discipline. A onda ode u nepovrat i autoritet na tim „vrednostima” zasnovan… Ako našeg druga Branka nezadovoljni članovi zovu onako kako ga zovu izmišljeni likovi – kafanski drugari Jova i Mile (Babasera) onda se temelji Malovićeve strahovlade među južnobanatskim naprednjacima nezadrživo ruše. A tome naš drug Branko mora da stane na put, pa je krenuo od pozivanja na odgovornost pred sudom našeg novinara, zbog tih strašnih zločina poigravanja rečima i nadimcima u jednoj šaljivoj priči objavljenoj na „tamo nekom levom sajtu”…

S druge strane, naš drug Branko ima mnogo „unutrašnjih” problema jer su se u oblasti pod njegovom neposrednom kontrolom – za koju je zadužen ne samo kao koordinator vladajućeg kartela, nego i kao gradonačelnik oba grada, predsednik šest opština, pregovarač u znatnijim poslovnim poduhvatima i direktor svakog javnog preduzeća – pojavile neravnine: prvo ona Rakićka u Vršcu javno priča protiv naprednjaka, pa ju je takođe tužio zbog teksta objavljenog u „Danasu”, onda „otpadnik” Predrag Belić, bivši predsednik Opštine Alibunar, sa kojim je u realnom sukobu, a sad i tu neki novinar Živković u Pančevu, koji i dalje pruža otpor uništavanju društva, urušavanju institucija i opštem obesmišljavanju svega što se obesmisliti može, time što ukazuje na grube faulove vlasti i pratećih entiteta…

Politički motivisane tužbe

Nema nikakve sumnje da je najnoviji napad na sajt Pančevo Si Ti politički motivisan i da ova inflacija tužbi predstavlja novi pritisak na slobodno, nezavisno, profesionalno, kritičko i angažovano novinarstvo koje naš sajt gaji od osnivanja, 1. maja prošle godine. Inflacija Malovićevih tužbi nedvosmisleno pokazuje da je u toku sudska kampanja koju SNS vodi protiv novinara i medija koji nisu pod njenom medijskom kapom i kontrolom, u okviru organizovane akcije vladajućih struktura na gušenju slobode javne reči i prava na izražavanje u celoj Srbiji. Hajde jedna tužba, to bi moglo da se shvati kao slučajnost, ali dve, to je već neskrivena namera.

Naša Redakcija poziva novinarsku i najširu demokratsku javnost da se isključivo nenasilnim, institucionalnim i vaninstitucionalnim, akcijama i u skladu sa zakonom, usprotivi talasu najnovijih pritisaka vlasti, vladajuće stranke i režimskih medija na slobodu javne reči u Srbiji. Do sada nijedan ugnjetač slobode nije shvatio da borba za istinu i pravdu dugo traje, mnogo boli i puno košta, ali da dobro na kraju uvek pobedi.

Vesti iz Živkovićevog štaba

U ekskluzivnoj izjavi za naš sajt, Živković je rekao:

– Neka mi ne bude zamereno, iskoristio bih ovu priliku da uputim ličnu poruku g. Maloviću: Branko, molim te da naložiš svojim advokatima da pažljivije pročitaju moje tekstove na sajtu Pančevo Si Ti i da nastave da podnose tužbe – ako mi sledeće nedelje ne stigne treća, a one tamo četvrta, razočaraćeš me kao čovek, muškarac, intelektualac, koordinator, potpredsednik, ugledan poslovni čovek i uzoran građanin. Vidimo se na sudu, obuci se lepo.

Živković je najavio da će javnost i sve zainteresovane strane u zemlji i u inostranstvu biti blagovremeno obaveštene o aktivnostima njegovog tima za odbranu pred sudom i za sprečavanje dalje uzurpacije slobode javne reči i slobode izražavanja.

Protest of journalists in Banja Luka: Attack on Kovačević – an attack on freedom of expression

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BANJA LUKA, 07.11.2018. – It is unacceptable that more than two months after the attempted murder of Vladimir Kovacevic, a journalist of BN Television, the second suspect was not taken into custody, nor were the motives and the orderers of the attack detected, was stated by the journalists in Banja Luka in a protest gathering outside the premises of the Club of Journalists in this city.

Siniša Vukelić, president of The BHJA journalists club in Banja Luka, when addressing to the demonstrants, he said  that although it is known that the second suspect is outside Banja Luka, the court in this city refuses to issue an international arrest warrant and that only a central arrest warrant, reports Anadolija.

“We think that this further undermines the credibility of the Republika Srpska institutions and we do not believe in their desire to bring this case to an end”, he said.

‘As an attack on officials’

In two years, the Free Media Help Line in BiH recorded 118 attacks on journalists in this country, and most of these cases was never solved, nor did a judicial epilogue occur.

“If this is not solved, the BHJA Journalists Club in Banja Luka and the media community will not observe silently, we will request this case to be resolved like any other. We will try all legal means to fight for our rights, we will not allow to remain such an environment in which we feel threatened and we can not perform our duty and do our work”, said Vukelić.

According to his work,  BHJA Journalists Club in Banja Luka will continue requesting from the RS National Assembly Amendments to RS Criminal Code in order to treat attacks on journalists as attacks on officials.

“This is not an attack on one journalist, this is an attack on freedom of expression in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, emphasized Vukelić.

Discover the motives and the perpetrators of the attack

Vladimir Kovačević said that it is most important to discover the real motives and the perpetrators of the attack on him.

“I do not expect this case to be completely resolved, I do not believe that the orderers will be discovered, because by now there should be official information. What is alarming is that there is no information from the prosecution, the fact is that they can not reveal the details of the investigation, but they could organize some kind of public address”, he said.

The prosecution suspects Marko Čolić and Nedeljko Dukić, for whom a central arrest warrant has been issued, for “causing serious bodily injuries in the area of the head and body” to Kovačević with telescopic sticks on August 26th in Banja Luka Kovačević.

Autori Razgibavanja otišli sa Radio Lagune

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BEOGRAD, 06.11.2018. – Marko Stepanović i Darko Mitrović prekinuli saradnju s Lagunom zato što nisu prihvatili promene u svojoj emisiji koje je ova kuća tražila.

Voditelji popularne radio-emisije Razgibavanje Marko Stepanović i Darko Mitrović, posle dve godine prekinuli su saradnju sa Radio Lagunom zbog, kako je Stepanović objasnio na svom Fejsbuk profilu, neslaganja oko toga kako Razgibavanje treba da izgleda. Iz Lagune su tražili promene koje ovaj autorski tandem nije prihvatio.

Evo šta je Marko Stepanović napisao na svom profilu:

„Dragi ljudi, da ne bih svima odgovarao pojedinačno i da ne bude nagađanja, evo jasne informacije. Dare i ja smo odlučili da odemo sa Lagune jer oni i mi ne vidimo na isti način kako Razgibavanje treba da izgleda.

Nas dvojica nećemo da menjamo emisiju jer je takvu volimo, mnogi od vas je takvu kakva je vole i slušaju već celu deceniju, ona je UVEK bila uspešna gde god smo je radili i ako je nekome nanela štetu, to smo samo nas dvojica.

Nećemo od nje praviti nikakve blede kopije, živeće ili ovakva ili nikako, i tačka. Naravno, svaki poslodavac ima mogućnost to da prihvati ili ne i to je ok i nema nikakve zavere ili zabrane.

E sad, zašto je najslušanija radio-emisija tabu tema za sve vlasnike radio-stanica u Srbiji, to ostavljam vama da zaključite, a ja ne potcenjujem vašu inteligenciju.

Idemo dalje, OVDE NIJE KRAJ, VERUJEM JA.😉“ 

Najveću popularnost Marko i Darko doživeli su na Radiju i Televiziji B92, odakle su pod čudnim okolnostima otišli krajem 2013. godine.

‘Something is wrong in Europe’: Free press under fire

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AMSTERDAM, 06.11.2018. – The killings of investigative journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia and Ján Kuciak are tragic evidence that press freedom and the safety of journalists cannot be taken for granted in Europe.

The 2018 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders adds further weight to this: of the five countries that recorded the biggest falls in press freedom since 2017, four were in Europe (Malta, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia).

At Free Press Live, our speakers will give their takes on journalists’ safety in the so-called “cradle of democracy”. We spoke to three European journalists who are concerned about the deterioration of press freedom in their continent.

Marilù Mastrogiovanni, editor of Il Tacco d’Italia newspaper, Italy

Courtesy of Marilu Mastrogiovanni“I have received police protection at different times from 2007. Since 2017, security measures were increased due to threats I received from local politicians: I had showed they were close to members of the Sacra Corona Unita, the mafia of southern Puglia.

I didn’t think these measures were enough to guarantee the safety of my children. When they set fire to my house at night, [me and my husband] decided it was time to leave our home.

[In Italy], the risk involved in reporting on the mafia is very high. If you investigate the mafia and you’re an honest journalist, sooner or later you’ll end up writing about their links with politics, dirty money and corruption.

This danger is increasing in the rest of Europe. We must overcome the traditional idea we have of the mafia. Where there is dirty money there is a mafia, and this type of business and political mafia pollutes all of Europe.

The EU should create a fund to support freelance journalists and their investigations. If Europe is the cradle of democracy and democracy is based on freedom of thought, then Europe must support the free press.”

Jean-Paul Marthoz, columnist Le Soir and visiting professor at Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Courtesy of Jean-Paul Marthoz“The murders of journalists in Malta and Slovakia are an indication that something is wrong in Europe. The killings surprised me, but they happened in a context of a general degradation of the state of freedom of expression in Europe.

There have been too many attacks from politicians against the press, which has created an atmosphere that is not very conducive to journalists playing their role as a watchdog.

Many journalists are not attacked physically but in other ways. There is increasing harassment on social media against journalists, especially women. There are also legal pressures, with some in circles of power using defamation laws to muzzle the press.

I believe there is a link between the dangers that journalists are facing and the fact that even in the most established democracies the systems of checks and balances and judicial control are infected.

A number of institutions that are supposed to be the guardians of integrity are not really working, for example in Malta and Slovakia. Investigative journalists are stepping into that space, with all the risks involved.

Freedom of the press is the canary in the coal mine. I do think that safety of journalists deserves more attention, because killings are a warning something bigger might be coming.”

Dragana Pećo, investigative journalist at Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK), Serbia

Courtesy of Dragana Peco“With KRIK, we have published many stories revealing corruption and crime among high officials in Serbia. Every time we post a big story there is some kind of trouble after.

Dozens of Twitter accounts will try to discredit the journalists by calling them foreign spies or agents for [George] Soros. One of these bots even issues death threats. Last year in July, while I was traveling, someone went into my apartment in Belgrade and made a mess – even the garbage was out on the floor. We filed criminal charges [for the death threat and the burglary] but nothing happened with the cases.

In public, politicians will say the media are free to ask any questions. But at the same time, they use the same words as the social media critics, saying we’re foreign agents who want to bring down the government. That shows they’re not willing to protect journalists.

As an investigative journalist here in Serbia, you’re constantly thinking about your safety. There are so many cases of journalists who were attacked. And we see the numbers getting worse.

I am worried but I keep going because this is still my dream job. I see it as my mission to keep investigating, for all of society.”

The article was published first by Free Press Unlimited.

International Declaration on Information and Democracy: principles for the global information and communication space

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Paris, 05.11.2018. –  The Commission chaired by Christophe Deloire and Shirin Ebadi is today releasing the “International Declaration on Information and Democracy,” which establishes democratic guarantees for the global information and communication space.

Seventy years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in Paris, the “International Declaration on Information and Democracy” is establishing basic principles for the global information and communication space, which its preamble defines as a “common good of humankind.” The management of this space “is the responsibility of humankind in its entirety, through democratic institutions,” the preamble adds. Published today, this six-page document sets out democratic guarantees for the freedom, independence, pluralism, and reliability of the information at a time when the public space has been globalized, digitalized and destabilized.

This Declaration was adopted unanimously by the members of the Information and Democracy Commission chaired by Christophe Deloire, the secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and by Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi. After meeting for the first time in Paris on 11 and 12 September, the commission worked for nearly two months, regularly communicating by means of video conferencing and email. The commission’s mission statement, written by its two co-chairs, said the Declaration must “constitute a point of reference that will mobilize all those who are committed to defending a free and pluralistic public space, which is essential for democracy.”

The commission consists of 25 prominent figures of 18 nationalities, including Nobel laureates Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, and Mario Vargas Llos, and the Sakharov Prize laureate Hauwa Ibrahim. It also includes new technology specialists, lawyers, journalists and former heads of international organizations. The other members are (listed alphabetically): Emily BellYochaï BenklerTeng BiaoNighat DadCan DündarPrimavera de FilippiMireille Delmas-MartyAbdou DioufFrancis FukuyamaUlrik HaagerupAnn Marie Lipinski,Adam MichnikEli PariserAntoine PetitNavi PillayMaria RessaMarina WalkerAidan White and Mihaïl Zygar.

What does this Declaration bring to the body of law and deontology codes already in effect? Recognizing that the global information and communication space is a common good of humankind provides the grounds for establishing democratic guarantees. Enshrining a “right to information,” understood as reliable information, is an innovation that establishes that human beings have a fundamental right to receive information that is freely gathered, processed and disseminated, according to the principles of commitment to truth, the plurality of viewpoints and rational methods of establish facts.

While the concept of “freedom of expression” has been used to justify the lack of accountability for entities including platforms that create the technical mean, the architectures shaping choices and the norms for the information and communication space, the Declaration points out that freedom of expression is a right of individuals, with limited exceptions. Entities that contribute to the structure of the information and communication space must respect basic principles. Their activities must, for example, respect political, ideological and religious neutrality. They must guarantee pluralism by favouring serendipity among other means, and they must establish mechanisms for promoting trustworthy information. These entities must be predictable for those over whom they have influence. And they must be resistant to any manipulation and open to inspection.

The Declaration affirms journalism’s social function, a function that justifies special efforts to ensure its financial viability. The role of journalism is to be a “trusted third party” for societies. The task of journalists is to give an account of reality, revealing it in the broadest, deepest and most relevant manner possible, not only portraying events but also explaining complex situations and changes, reflecting both the positive and negative aspects of human activities and allowing the public to distinguish the important from the trivial. The freedom and safety of journalists, the independence of news and information and respect for journalistic ethics are all essential conditions for the practice of journalism, regardless of the status of those who practise it.

How should the Declaration’s principles be put into practice? The Commission calls for the creation of an international group of experts whose mandate and funding should ensure its independence from both companies and governments. It should have the power to investigate practices in the information and communication space and their impact on its means, architectures and norms. “Democratic accountability will require continuous expert participation that adequately balances global representation with a rigorous evidence-based assessment of practices and conditions of knowledge production in the global information an communication space,” the Declaration says.

In an appeal published today in the international media, the Information and Democracy Commission’s members say: “We urge leaders of good will on all continents to take action to promote democratic models and an open public debate in which citizens can take decisions on the basis of facts. The global information and communication space, which is a common good of humankind, must be protected in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom of expression and opinion while respecting the principles of pluralism, freedom, dignity and tolerance, and the ideal of reason and knowledge. To this end, we ask for a strong commitment to be expressed as early as 11 November, during the Peace Forum, when dozens of political leaders will gather in Paris.”