BEOGRAD, 02.11.2018. – Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije (NUNS) je zatražilo da države preuzme odgovornost za nekažnjavanje napada na novinare, i pozvalo vlast da podrži predlog Međunarodne federacije novinara (IFJ) da UN donesu Konvenciju o zaštiti novinara i drugih medijskih profesionalaca.

Taj zahtev je sadržan u pismu pročitanom na protestnom skupu u beogradskom Medija centru, kojim se NUNS pridružio medijskim radnicima širom sveta u kampanji “Kraj nekažnjivosti – za Konvenciju UN o zaštiti novinara”, povodom Dana borbe protiv nekažnjivosti zločina nad novinarima.

Na skupu je emitovana izjava oca novinarke Dade Vujasinović, Radislava, koji je kazao da 24 godine nije rešena smrt njegove ćerke, te da je njegovu tugu zamenio gnev “zbog nečinjenja i činjenja”.

On je kazao da ono što je nađeno kao dokaz, nije video niko osim policije u sastavu novinske komisije.

“Jednog dana kada istina opet bude vrednost u društuvu, kazaće se šta se zapravo dogodilo”, rekao je Radislav Vujasniović, otac novinarke nadjene mrtve u svom stanu na Novom Beogradu 8. aprila 1994. godine.

Biljana Stepanović: Zabeleženo 22 slučaja napada na novinare

Članica Izvršnog odbora NUNS-a Biljana Stepanović je pročitala pismo u kojem NUNS navodi da je ove godine zabeležio 22 slučaja napada, pretnji i zastrašivanja novinara, te da je u četiri slučaja tužilaštvo utvrdilo da nema mesta pokretanju postupka jer nema elemenata krivičnog dela koje se goni po službenoj dužnosti, 16 slučajeva je još u toku pred tužilaštvom, dok je u jednom slučaju pokrenut sudski postupak, a jedan slučaj nije prijavljen policiji.

Podsetila je da je 2017. godine NUNS zabeležio 31 slučaj napada, pretnji i zastrašivanja novinara, da je samo jedan slučaj rešen izricanjem mera bezbednosti obaveznog lečenja na slobodi i zabranom prilaska, dok je u šest slučajeva tužilaštvo utvrdilo da nema mesta pokretanja postupaka jer nema elementa krivičnog dela koje se goni po službenoj dužnosti, da se u postupcima pred tužilaštvo nalaze 23 slučaja, a povodom jednog je pokrenut sudski postupak i protiv jednog prekršajni postupak.

“Zato ne apelujemo, već insistiramo da se državni organi javno oglase povodom sve učestalijih pritisaka na naše kolege, koji su u poslednje tri godine čak 73 puta počinjeni od strane nosilaca javnih funkcija i na taj način ohrabre novinare da rade svoj posao, a obeshrabre one koji ih u tome sprečavaju”, istakla je Biljana Stepanović.

Napadi na novinare nisu samo napadi na njihov fizički i psihički integritet, već su i napadi na slobodu izražavanja i slobodu medija, navela je ona.

“Za to su odgovorni oni koji atakuju na profesiju, ali pre svih državni organi od kojih se očekuje da u potpunosti poštuju domaće zakone i svoje medjunarodne obaveze kako bi obezbedili da se i državni i nedržavni počinoci i podstrekači nasilja nad novinarima ;privedu pravdi”, kazala je predstavnica NUNS-a.

Po navodima iz pisma, Srbija “nije ni pravna ni pravedna zemlja”, da, uprkos svim apelima medijskih udruženja i organizacija, još nisu rasvetljene smrti novinara Radislave Dade Vujasinović, Slavka Ćuruvije i Milana Pantića. “Naši apeli žive jedan dan… Država ih ne čuje, ignoriše ih, odbijaju se od nje i posle godinu dana poput eha vrate se na mesto odakle su krenuli na svoj tihi put, da bi ponovo bile izrečeni, ponovo živeli jedan dan, i tako u krug…”, navodi se u pismu.

Glavni i odgovorni urednik nedeljnika NIN Milan Ćulibrk je rekao da sam povod današnjeg skupa pokazuje dubinu problema u kojem su novinari i drugi medijski radnici u Srbiji, gde se već dugo stvara klima u kojoj ne postoji kritika bilo koga, već je to odmah napad.

“Ja, kao glavni urednik NIN-a, uveren sam da mi nikoga ne napadamo, ali ćemo uvek kritikovati sve loše stvari i uvek insistirati na istini”, kazao je Ćulibrk.

Božić: Žalosno što se i dalje prebrojavaju “patriotska zrnca”

Urednik Televizije N1 Igor Božić rekao je da je žalosno što se u Srbiji posle 20 godina od smrti Ćuruvije, Dade Vujasinović i Pantića ponovo slušaju ljudi koji prebrojavaju “patriotska zrnca” drugim novinarima.

“Takva situacija postaje neizdrživa za nas koji pokušavamo da profesionalno radimo ;svoj posao. Zbog te činjenice novinari naše kuće osećaju se poprilično nesigurno. Odlazeći na konferencije za štampu, dobijaju etikete da su Amerikanci, američki plaćenici ili novinari nekog od predstavnika opozicije”, kazao je Božić.

Dodao je da država uvek može sprečiti takvu vrstu etiketiranja počešviš od sebe, jer ljudi koji su na funkcijama moraju imati vrstu odgovornosti koja znači zaštitu ljudi koji se bave javnom profesijom.

“Kao što su u slučaju gej parade mogli da spreče huligane da više ne dolaze i napadaju pripadnike gej populacije, tako mogu da zaštite i novinare od napada”, kazao je on.

Draža Petrović: Tekst u “Ilustrovanoj” s potpisom Vučića

Novinar lista “Danas” Dragoljub Draža Petrović kazao je da problem s tekstom najnovije “Ilustrovane politike” “Psi su pušteni” nije u tome što je izašao u “listu koji je nebitan, već u tome što bi taj tekst verovatno potpisao Aleksandar Vučić”.

“Osnovni problem danas u medijima u Srbiji je u tome što predsednik pravi pristojnu i normalnu Srbiju uz najnepristojnije i najnenormalnije medije. Nikada niste čuli da je kritikovao naslovne strane Informera, ali jeste NIN-a i Danas-a”, kazao je Petrović.

Od 1991. do 2001. godine čak 39 novinara i medijskih radnika iz Srbije je ubijeno, kidnapovano, nestalo ili izgubilo život pod nerasvetljenim okolnostima, a u najvećem broju slučajeva odgovorni za ubistva i napade na novinare nisu kažnjeni, a u nekim istraga nikada nije ni pokrenuta.

Predstavnici NUNS-a ukazali su da su sve političke garniture u novijoj istoriji Srbije obećale rešavanje ubistva, da je aktuelna vlast formirala i Komisiju za rešavanje ubistava novinara, kao i da se predsednik Srbije Aleksandar Vučić i izvinio, “ali ne što je onomad bio deo režima koji je učestvovao u ubistvu, već što smo toliko godina čekali da izvršioci ubistva dodju pred lice pravde”.

Na skupu je ukazano na dužnost Srbije da sprovede Akcioni plan UN za bezbednost novinara i nekažnjivost, kao i Preporuke Saveta Evrope za zaštitu novinarstva i bezbednosti novinara i drugih medijskih radnika.

Sarajevo,Banja Luka, 2.11.2018. – The BH Journalists’ Steering Committee  and Free Media Help Line request more responsible, more professional and more effective resolution of attacks on journalists, and sanctioning the ones who endanger security, lives and basic human rights of journalists and media professionals from the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the state level and in the entities – Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska.

November 2, is known as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. Bosnia and Herzegovina still does not have legally released dozens of physical attacks on journalists and media teams, attempted murder and other brutal violations of the right to freedom of expression.

In the last two years, Free Media Help Line registered 118  cases of endangering the security, life and rights of journalists in BiH, among which was an attempted murder, 11 physical attacks, 13 explicit threats to death and dozens of other forms of violation freedom of expression. None of the perpetrators of these criminal offenses has been sanctioned or prosecuted in an adequate and expeditious manner that would show that BiH institutions act in accordance with international standards of protection of life and security of journalists in an efficient and responsible manner.

We recall, that the other assailant of the journalist Vladimir Kovacevic has not yet been completed, nor has his extradition been requested since he is a fugitive since August 2018 when the murder attempt happened in the center of Banja Luka.

Death threats and physical attacks on journalists and media teams BHRT, FTV, BNTV, Žurnal, Klix and Bljesak portal, then journalists Dragan Bursač, Stefan Galić, Slobodan Vasković, Amir Zukic, Nedžad Latić and many others not only are not professionally investigated by the police and the prosecutor’s office, but have never been adequately prosecuted through the existing judicial system and the perpetrators are not sanctioned. Our demands and appeals to sanction the assailants of journalists live in one day in a smaller number of media and never come to the ones they are referring to. The state does not hear us, journalists and media are living and surviving in an increasingly radical and uncertain environment, fearing daily from new attacks or other forms of preventing decent and safe work.

That is why we are once again loudly demand and expect from the competent state institutions, before all the state-level justice ministries and entities, to urgently initiate changes to criminal legislation that will ensure more effective protection of journalists – victims of criminal offenses and enforce police and judicial institutions in accordance with international standards of protection freedom of expression and the availability of justice to journalists.

Today, it should be said loudly that no case of murder, death or disappearance of journalists in the previous war has been researched or legally terminated! The BH journalists’ association has just completed the research and evoked the names of journalists and media workers killed and missing in 1992-1996 on the battlefields across BiH. On that list are 80 names, including 12 foreign journalists and cameramen. The list will be submitted to the BiH Prosecutor’s Office with a resolution requesting the opening of an investigation into the killings and suffering of journalists in the Bosnian Serb war, and sanctioning of the perpetrators.

The BH Journalists’ Steering Committee  and Free Media Help Line emphasize that journalist attacks are not just an attack on their physical and mental integrity – they are, at the same time, an attack on freedom of expression, freedom of media and democratic value of every society. Naturally, those who are responsible are the ones attacking the journalistic profession, but responsibilities are also on the state bodies and institutions that are expected to fully respect domestic laws and their international obligations including sanctioning of perpetrators and instigators of crime and violence against journalists . Therefore, we call on the BH authorities to urgently bring to justice all attackers and to support the proposal of the International Federation of Journalists to bring the UN to the Convention on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals. We also recall that BiH must also urgently implement in practice the UN Action Plan on Journalists Safety and Prevention of Impunity, as well as Council of Europe Recommendations for the Protection and Security of Journalists and Other Media Workers.

The BH Journalists’ Steering Committee , Sarajevo, Banja Luka, 02/11/2018

BELGRADE, 02.11.2018. – To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, IJAS calls on the state to act against impunity of attacks on journalist and support IFJ proposal for a UN Convention to protect journalists and media professionals. 

Dear Mrs. Brnabic,

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, established by a decision of the United Nations five years ago, was marked for the first time on the occasion of the first anniversary of the murder of French journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Mali.

Over the past 25 years, close to 2,500 journalists have been killed while doing their job, trying to inform the public about revolutions, coups and wars, as well as crime or corruption.

Between 1991 and the end of 2001, as many as 39 Serbian journalists and media professionals were murdered, kidnapped, went missing or lost their lives under unclarified circumstances. In most cases the individuals responsible for the murders of and attacks on journalists were not punished, and in some cases no investigation was ever launched.

There is no government in Serbia’s recent history that didn’t promise to quickly solve the murders. The current authorities have also formed a commission for solving the murders of journalists, as a symbolic illusion of changes that haven’t materialized in reality. Aleksandar Vucic, then-first deputy prime minister and now the head of state, even apologized, but not for having been part of the regime that had been involved in the murders, but for the fact that we had waited so many years for the murderers to be brought to justice. That same regime, spearheaded by Slobodan Milosevic, also involved Ivica Dacic and Maja Gojkovic, as well as former Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic, who said on the occasion of the commission’s forming that Serbia was “a just and legal state!”

Serbia is neither a just nor a legal state! Ever since the tragic death of Radislava Dada Vujasinovic, journalists have been asking that light be shed on her death; they have been appealing to the authorities to find and punish those who had in broad daylight, with cold-blooded and professional precision, assassinated journalist Slavko Curuvija; they have been calling for the finding and punishing of the cruel murderers of Milan Pantic. Our appeals live for a day, in a shrinking number of media, and they never seem to reach their intended recipients. The authorities do not hear them, they ignore them, the appeals bounce off them, and a year later they return like an echo to the place they started their quiet journey from, to be made again, to live for a day again, and on and on…!

It should be said that, fortunately, there haven’t been any murders of journalists for a long time. However, murder is not the only crime, it is the most severe form of crime: pressure, threats and physical assault on journalists mainly result in unease, fear and, ultimately, self-censorship, which most certainly undermines media freedom and the public’s right to be informed, and leaves the victims feeling helpless.

The attacks on journalists are not just attacks on their physical and psychological integrity, attacks on journalists are attacks on the freedom of expression and media freedom. The responsibility for that, of course, lies with those who attack the profession, but above all the state bodies, which are expected to fully respect national laws and their international obligations in order to ensure that both state and non-state perpetrators and instigators of violence against journalists are brought to justice.

That is why we do not appeal, but rather insist that the state bodies speak out regarding the increasingly frequent pressures on our colleagues, which have over the last three years been committed as many as 73 times by public officials, and thus encourage journalists to do their job and discourage those preventing them from doing it.

In 2017, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) registered 31 cases of attacks on, threats to and intimidation of journalists. According to the IJAS’ latest data, of the total number the prosecution determined in six cases that there were no grounds for launching proceedings because there were no elements of a criminal offense that would be prosecuted ex officio. Twenty-three cases are being processed by the prosecution, while just one case has been solved by the handing of the measure of mandatory medical treatment at large and the placement of a restraining order. Court proceedings have been launched in one case, and misdemeanor proceedings in another.

In 2018, the IJAS registered 22 cases of attacks on, threats to and intimidation of journalists. Of that number, the prosecution determined in four cases that there were no grounds for launching proceedings due to a lack of elements of a criminal offense that would be prosecuted ex officio; 16 cases are still under way before the prosecution, whereas court proceedings have been launched in one case. One case was not reported to the police.

We urge the authorities to support a proposal by the International Federation of Journalists, for the U.N. to enact a Convention on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals. The Republic of Serbia is obligated to implement the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, as well as the Council of Europe’s recommendations for the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media professionals.

We ask that our government take responsibility for the failure to punish attacks on journalists.

IJAS Executive Board

Belgrade, November 2, 2018

PRISTINA 01.11.2018 – The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) participated on Thursday in a public discussion about the draft regulation on public communications services with the public, organized by the Office of Public Communication of the Office of Prime Minister.

The AJK’s president, Gentiana Begolli-Pustina presented the comments and views of the Association on this draft-regulation, in particular with the appointment of the spokespersons of the ministries and of municipalities, in which the draft regulation foresees that one of the political advisors of the minister or the mayor to be appointed as spokesperson of the respective ministry or municipality.

Begolli-Pustina emphasized that transferring competencies to political individuals to communicate with the public on behalf of an institution could politicize and centralize the delivery of information.

“If public communication is left to the political will of a ministry or political advisor there is a great risk that the ministry fully represents the political interests and interests of the political party of the minister, which automatically puts into question the truthfulness of the information, how much public information is presented, or they represent only the interest of a particular minister,” said Begolli – Pustina.

Also, AJK discussed about the number of accreditations provided to journalists should not be determined by the Public Communication Office of PM’s office but the number of accreditations is done in cooperation and in accordance with the needs of the media.

“There are media in which over 100 journalists, cameramen and photographers are employed, on the other hand there are media where the total number of employees, including administrative staff, does not reach 20”, Begolli – Pustina added.

The AJK’s comments presented during the public discussion on this draft-regulation will be submitted in writing to the PM’s office.

BELGRADE, 01.11.2018. – The last issue of the Belgrade Ilustrovana Politika weekly triggered reactions from abroad on Wednesday, after the independent unions of journalists in Serbia and Vojvodina (NUNS and NDNV) said that the weekly cover page was “a call for lynching the independent media and journalists,” the Beta news agency reported.

The headline reads “Dogs are unleashed,” and the unions have said on Tuesday that both the headline and the content of the article are equivalent to an open hunt season on independent media.

“It is frightening that this weekly has been spreading hatred and intolerance by branding professional journalists traitors and foreign spies, thus drawing a target on their forehead,” the unions’ statement said.
It has added it is even more upsetting since the weekly is state-owned.

The Reporters Without Borders (RWB) or in French  Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) condemned the hatred and call for verbal lynching by “a pro-government newspaper against two independent outlets which are critical of the regime.

BEOGRAD, 01.11.2018. – Sudsko veće ne samo da nije dozvolilo svedočenje policajca Dragana Kecmana, najzaslužnijeg za prikupljanje dokaza u slučaju ubistva Slavka Ćuruvije, već je odbacilo i njegov iskaz iz istrage. Odbačeni i predlozi za svedočenje Aleksandra Vučića, Tomislava Nikolića i Zorana Lilića.

Sudsko veće Posebnog odeljenja za organizovani kriminal Višeg suda u Beogradu (takozvani Specijalni sud) odbacilo je danas predlog odbrane optuženih da se kao svedoci u postupku za ubistvo novinara Slavka Ćuruvije saslušaju predsednik SrbijeAleksandar Vučić i dva bivša predsednika – Srbije Tomislav Nikolić i SR Jugoslavije Zoran Lilić.

Sudsko veće je obrazložilo zašto je odbacilo mnoštvo predloženih dokaza i svedoka, ali nijednom rečju nije obrazložilo odbacivanje svedočenja trojice predsednika.

Zašto samo Kecmanu nije dozvoljeno svedočenje?

Takođe, ne samo da nije prihvaćeno svedočenje Dragana Kecmana, policajca koji je najzaslužniji za prikupljanje najvažnijih dokaza u ovom slučaju, već je, na predlog odbrane optuženih, odbačeno i njegovo svedočenje tokom istrage, sa obrazloženjem da je u tom iskazu govorio o operativnim saznanjima, koja na glavnom ročištu ne mogu biti prihvaćena kao dokazi.

I dalje nije jasno kako samo ovom inspektoru nije dozvoljeno svedočenje pred sudom (osim prilikom utvrđivanja zakonitosti oduzimanja traka sa podacima sa baznih stanica Mobtela), kada je to,kako je pisala Cenzolovka, dozvoljeno bar šestorici njegovih kolega koji su učestvovali u istrazi ubistva Ćuruvije.

Pored njih, odbijen je i najveći deo svedoka koje su predlagali tužilac i branioci. Spisak odbačenih dokaza koje su predložili zamenik tužioca za organizovani kriminal Milenko Mandić i advokati optuženih bio je toliko dugačak da je bilo nemoguće sve ih zabeležiti, a čak ni učesnici u postupku to nisu uspeli.

Moglo se zapaziti da su odbačeni priloženi dokazi kao što su tekstovi iz štampe ili citati iz knjiga, sa obrazloženjem da ne predstavljaju materijalne „objektivne dokaze“, kako je rekla predsednica sudskog veća Snežana Jovanović, i da ne mogu da utiču na utvrđivanje okolnosti ubistva Ćuruvije, pošto činjenice iz tih tekstova ne moraju da budu objektivne.

Slobodan Ružić, advokat dece Slavka Ćuruvije, Jelene i Radeta, rekao je u izjavi novinarima da je sud odbio i njegov predlog da se kao dokaz uzme izjava nekadašnjeg načelnika Resora državne bezbednosti Radomira Markovića, objavljena u Politici nakon objavljivanja dosijea „Ćuran“ (o praćenju Slavka Ćuruvije od strane agenata RDB-a u vreme ubistva), da Ćuruvija nije bio predmet obrade tajne službe.

Ružić to smatra izuzetno važnim dokazom, ali je naglasio i da će on o tome govoriti u završnoj reči.

Ovaj advokat pretpostavlja da će se Tužilaštvo žaliti zbog odbacivanja nekih dokaza, kao što su izjave inspektora Dragana Kecmana i Kastrata Dilbera, ali ne misli da je to ključno za postupak, pošto on smatra da je izvedeno dovoljno dokaza koji potvrđuju optužnicu.

On podseća i da je jako važno to što je sud, posle dva neuspela pokušaja da se deo tih dokaza odbaci (oba puta ih je u postupak vratio Apelacioni sud), prihvatio kao dokaze trake sa podacima sa baznih stanica u centru Beograda, koji pokazuju kretanje i komunikaciju optuženih u vreme ubistva Ćuruvije.

S druge strane, Zora Dobričanin Nikodinović, advokatica optuženih bivših funkcionera RDB-a Milana Radonjića i Ratka Romića, rekla je da joj je drago što je sud uvažio njen predlog da odbaci izjave Kecmana i Dilbera, jer su se izjašnjavali o stvarima koje prema Zakonu o krivičnom postupku ne mogu da budu dokazi.

Ona kaže da je sud odbio gotovo sve dokaze koje je odbrana predložila, a da će se o tome da li su u tome pogrešili izjasniti kada dobije presudu.

Odbačeni su i dokazi koji se tiču komunikacije nadležnih institucija, odluke i rad „operativne grupe“ koja se bavila istragom Slavka Ćuruvije, te svi oni dokazi koji u sebi sadrže operativne podatke koji se ne mogu koristiti tokom postupka.

Prihvaćen Suvajdžićev iskaz u istrazi

„Sud smatra da je prikupljeno dovoljno dokaza, te da će njihovom analizom i upoređivanjem ceniti kakav je njihov kvalitet“, rekla je Snežana Jovanović.

Danas je sud u spise predmeta uvrstio iskaz Miladina Suvajdžića, zaštićenog svedoka u procesu za ubistvo premijera Zorana Đinđića, koji je predložen da svedoči i u ovom postupku, ali koji i pored poziva suda nije došao zato što su oni koji ga štite rekli da je negde daleko van zemlje i da bi bilo jako skupo njegovo dovođenje pred sud.

Sud je odbio predlog odbrane da se izuzme iz spisa iskaz iz istrage člana zemunskog klana Aleksandra Simovića, koji je svojevremeno doveden pred sud iz zatvora, ali je odbio da se o bilo čemu izjasni rekavši kratko da su njegovoj porodici pretili.

Završne reči mogu da počnu u novembru

„Vrlo je malo još ostalo“, podsetila je Snežana Jovanović učesnika procesa za ubistvo Slavka Ćuruvije, još jednom im poručivši da završne reči mogu početi već od sledećeg ročišta. To se u ovom trenutku ne može znati sigurno, pošto učesnici u procesu mogu dostaviti još predloga, a i očekuje se žalba tužioca zbog odbacivanja određenih dokaza, pa će to sve sada zavisiti i od toga kada će se o žalbi izjasniti Apelacioni sud.

Prvi će završnu reč iznositi tužilac, pa odbrana oštećenih, zatim odbrana okrivljenih i sami okrivljeni, kojima je predsednica sudskog veća limitirala iznošenje odbrane na po sat vremena.

Nastavak suđenja je zakazan za 22. i 26. novembar u 9.30 i za 6. decembar u 14.30 sati.