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EU Reminds Serbia to Respect Media Freedom

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BRUSSELS, 21.09.2017. – After the party of a Serbian government minister vilified an investigative editor as a ‘drug addict’, the EU has reminded Belgrade that it will be tracking Serbia’s respect for a free media during the accession process.

The EU press service has reminded would-be-member Serbia that freedom of expression is an important value of the European club – and that Serbia’s respect for it will be examined closely during its accession process.

The EU was responding to unease over the case of an investigative website editor, Stevan Dojcinovic, who was called “drug addict” by the party of Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin – as well as over the separate case of Vranjske novine editor and former head of the Serbian journalists’ association, Vukasin Obradovic.

He went on hunger strike this week in protest over the closure of his newspaper and over what he termed the suffocation of the independent media in Serbia.

“Freedom of expression is one of the EU’s fundamental values and one of the core elements of Serbia’s European integration process,” the EU told BIRN in a statement.

The statement added that attacks on the integrity of journalists that hinder their professional work violate the values of media freedom.

“The EU will continue to monitor the situation in this area in the context of [Serbian] accession negotiations,” the statement warned.

Minister Vulin’s Movement of Socialists party called Crime and Corruption Reporting Network editor Dojcinovic a “drug addict” on Monday after KRIK published a critical report investigating the origin of the money that Vulin had used to buy an apartment.

The same day, Obradovic, the founder of Vranjske novine and former head of the Serbian journalists’ association, NUNS, went on hunger strike after being forced to close his newspaper.

Obradovic later called off the hunger strike for medical reasons. But NUNS on Tuesday accused the Serbian authorities of using state institutions to suffocate the independent media via bodies like the tax authorities and the courts.

NUNS said local media are even more vulnerable to such pressure from “local bullies”, because they rely heavily on a limited advertising market “that to a great extent depends on state authorities”.

The EU said that the allocation of funding for media content serving the public interest should be fair, transparent, unbiased and open to all on equal terms. “Independent, pluralistic and strong media are the cornerstone of any democratic society,” it noted.

The same statement noted that the role of a free media is to hold governments accountable, promote good governance and transparency, and facilitate the free flow of quality and well-researched information on matters of public interest.

EU: Sloboda izražavanja je evropska vrednost, pratićemo poštovanje slobode medija u Srbiji

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BRISEL, 21.09.2017. – Evropska unija je podsetila da će pratiti poštovanje slobode medija u Srbiji tokom procesa pristupanja Uniji, saopšteno je Birnu iz sedišta Evropske unije u Briselu.

Povodom optužbi Pokreta socijalista, partije ministra odbrane Srbije Aleksandra Vulina, na račun urednika KRIK-a Stevana Dojčinovića, u saopštenu se navodi da su “nezavisni, pluralistički i jaki mediji predstavljaju kamen temeljac svakog demokratskog društva”.

EU podseća Srbiju, da je sloboda izražavanja važna vrednost evropske zajednice i da će tokom procesa pristupanja pažljivo razmatrati da li Srbija to poštuje.

“Sloboda izražavanja je među fundamentalnim vrednostima i jedan od ključnih elemenata evrointegracija Srbije”, piše u saopštenju.

Dodaje se da napad na integritet novinara i ometanje njihovog rada predstavlja kršenje vrednosti slobode medija.

“EU će nastaviti da prati situaciju u toj oblasti u kontekstu pristupnih pregovora”, dodaje se u saopštenju.

Takođe se navodi da i da dodela sredstava za finasiranje medija koji služe interesu javnosti treba da bude poštena, transparentna, nepristrasna i otvorena za sve pod jednakim uslovima.

U saopštenju se podseća da je EU je reagovala na napad na Dojčinovića, ali i na drugi slučaj koji se odnosi na osnivača i urednika nedeljnika Vranjske Vukašina Obradovića.

Na tekst “Tetka iz Kanade platila Vulinu stan” u kom se tvrdi da ministar odbrane ne može da dokaže poreklo više od 200.000 evra kojima je kupio stan, Vulinov Pokret socijalista odgovorio je saopštenjima u kojima urednika KRIK-a naziva narkomanom i optužuje ga da ne prijavljuje sve prihode.

Nedeljnik Vranjske prestao je da postoji 18. septembra, posle 23 godine, a Vukašin Obradović je u znak protesta zbog gašenja tog nedeljnika otpočeo štrajk gladju, koji je juče prekinuo po savetu lekara.

Announcement of Awards and Evaluation Results of the Call of Proposals for the Small Grants Programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”

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Zagreb, 20.09.2017. – Croatian Journalist Association (CJA), in its capacity of the contracting authority for this small grants programme, is pleased to announce the results of the evaluation of project applications in the scope of the Call of Proposals for the Small Grants Programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”.

The evaluation results present the ranking of all eligible project applications which were considered for evaluation of the quality of proposals, i.e. those that were submitted within the set deadline (August 31, 2017 at 23.59h) andmet all eligibility criteria, assessed during the Administrative Check process. The evaluation was undertaken by the Evaluation Committee appointed by the contracting authority, using the Evaluation Grid, published in the Application Guidelines. The evaluation process was organized on the basis of the Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EU External Actions (PRAG, version applicable from April 7, 2014) and the internal Rules of Procedure following PRAG rules.

The objective of this small grants programmeis to amplify advocacy efforts undertaken by local, national and regional civil society actors in collaboration with journalists and media organizations and to set topics of media freedom and journalists’ safety on mainstream agenda in the SEE region – more specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia. Hence, the small grants programme will support locally and regionally rooted civil society initiatives, engaging human rights activists, journalists and media, aiming to protect the freedom of expression and freedom of media. The small grants programme is funded by IPA /EU with co-financing from the Croatian Government Office for NGOs and makes part of a regional project Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety implemented through partnership of six regional journalists’ association – Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (IJAS), Association of BH Journalists (BHJ), Croatian Journalists Association (CJA), Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM).

The Call was divided into two LOTs, depending on the geographical scope and size of grant:

LOT I: Regional actions, whichare expected to include applicants from at least 3 out of 5 project WB countries. Average size of grants is 30 000 – 40 000 EUR with a co-financing rate of 10%.

LOT II: National actions, which are expected to include applicants within a given country. Average size of grants is 5 000 – 10 000 EUR with a co-financing rate of 10%. Indicatively, a total of 10 national grants will be disbursed, contingent on sufficient applications of high quality proposals.

All lead applicants whose applications have been evaluated will receive individual letters by email, informing them on the results of the evaluation by September 22 at 17:00h the latest.

All lead applicants that have been awarded a grant or have been placed on the reserve list are obliged to be available by email and phone over the period September 21 – 30, 2017, in order to engage in the contracting procedure.

Croatian Journalist association and its regional partner journalist associations thank all applicants for their interest and effort in engaging in this Call for Proposals and their cooperation throughout the evaluation process that took place over the past two weeks.We wish you all good work and good luck in protecting media freedom and freedom of expression in our troubled region.

 

Awarded project proposals:

 

Registration number Project application title Lead Applicant Score

(max. 100)

NAC11SRB Mission Defence: Using Activism and Legal Possibilities to Resist the Pressures on the Media Novi Sad School of Journalism 91
NAC13SRB Media Freedom Matrix- On-line Monitoring Tool Civic Initiatives 91
NAC15SRB U pravu si!- Guide Through Journalist Labour and Trade Union Rights Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation 90
REG04SRB Invisible Violence: Stories from the Newsroom NIIT Society Innovation Center 87
NAC03BIH Go Digital Against Harassment JaBiHEU 86
NAC12SRB Media Content and Media Financing

as a Reflection of Public Interest in Local Communities

Centre for Democratic Development Europolis 85
NAC01MNE Untold Stories: Journalists Endangered! NGO 35mm 85
NAC02KOS Supporting Media Freedom and Freedom of Speech Through Increased Watchdog Monitoring Media Related Matters Democracy Plus 83
NAC05SRB Follow the (Media) Money Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo- Fondacija (CINS) 82
NAC04BIH Real Voice of Journalism Post-conflict Research Center 80
REG01SRB SUP-PRO-MEDIA: Support to Advocating and Protecting Media Fredom and Freedomof Expression in the Western Balkans Beta Meda Center 80
NAC10MAK From Understanding to Protection-

Project for Understanding and Protection of Freedom of Expression and Media Freedoms in the Republic of Macedonia

CIVIL- Center for Freedom 80
REG05MAK Regional Platform for Boosting Changes Towards Free Media Societies in the Western Balkans Novapedia 80
NAC07MAK Human Rights Through Social Movements Youth Educational Forum 75
REG03SRB Forming of non-profitablelocal community media “OPEN TV” Media Research Centre 75


Project applications placed on the Reserve List:

 

Registration number Project Proposal Title Lead Applicant Score

(max. 100)

REG01MNE Evidence for Freedom Youth Initiative for Human Rights Montenegro 73
NAC02SRB Safety to Local Journalists! Independent Journalist Association of

Vojvodina (IJAV)

73
NAC03MNE Journalism Cooperative Association of Journalists of Montenegro 72 


Project applications that have met eligibility criteria but have not been selected for funding:

 

Registration number Project Proposal Title Lead Applicant Score

(max. 100)

REG02MAK Police VS Media: Turning Rivalry into Chivalry Center for Change Management 71
REG01BIH Social Ambiance for the Activist NGO Sector- Pressure, Support, Cooperation Medijske inicijative- Udruženje za razvoj medija i promociju profesionalnog novinarstva 71
NAC09SRB A Freedom Given Up is not so

easily regained

LICEULICE 71
NAC02MNE The Challenges of Albanian

Information in Montenegro

New Horizon 71
NAC01MAK To the Media Freedom Through

Media Outlets

BIRC 71
NAC04SRB Informed Citizens for Free Media Network of the Committees for Human Rights in Serbia CHRIS 71
REG04MAK Free and Informed Media for Informed Citizen Media Development Centre 71
REG02BIH Inform and Defend-Journalists and Lawyers for Freedom of Expression Center for Media Law 71
REG02SRB Moj izbor (My Choice) ANEM 71
REG03MAK Western Balkan, a Field of Freedom of Speech Association of citizen Media Plus 70
NAC10SRB Local Censorship NGO “MilleniuM” 64
NAC08SRB Free Media, a Better Informed Society Women’s Forum Prijepolje 64
NAC16SRB MOVE- Media Hub of East Serbia Timok Youth Centre 63
NAC08MAK Keep the Doors Open for the Truth Zelena Lupa 63
NAC07SRB The Wednesday Patriotic Review Centre for Human Rights- Normal Communication 60
NAC06SRB Free & Protected! Center for Modern Skills 58
NAC06MAK Pressures and Court Cases Against Journalists Cool Youth 57
NAC03SRB How to be Free Journalist Journalists Union of Serbia 51


Contact:

Monika Valečić

Program Coordinator

CroatianJournalists’ Association

Email:mvalecic@hnd.hr

 

EFJ submitted the case of burning weekly Novosti to Council of Europe

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Zagreb, 12.09.2017 - Tiskovna konferencija Autohtone – Hrvatske stranke prava ispred sjedišta Srpskog narodnog vijeæa. Na fotografiji Nikola Krklješ i predsjednik A-HSP-a Dražen Keleminec. foto HINA/ Denis CERIÆ /dc

BRUSSEL, 20.09.2017. – On 19 September 2017, the European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) have submitted the following case on the Council of Europe platform for the protection of journalism:

“On 2 September 2017, members of the far-right Autochthonous Croatian Party of Right (A-HSP) gathered in front of weekly Novosti’s office in central Zagreb and burned a copy of the magazine, which is published by the Serb National Council in Croatia.

According to the Western Balkans Regional Platform for Advocacy of Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety, A-HSP accused Novosti journalists of spreading hate against Croatians and called on the Croatian government to stop funding the magazine.

During the incident, Novosti journalists also faced repeated hate speech through social media and threats – including death threats – according to Novosti editor Nikola Bajto, who said in an interview to Novi list newspaper that the A-HSP threatened Novosti journalists that “they will end up like Charlie Hebdo”.

The police has filed charges against Dražen Keleminec, the leader of the party.

Associations: New phase of oppression of the freedom of media and intimidation of journalists

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BELGRADE, 19.09.2017. – Associations of journalists and media warn citizens and international institutions about the fact that the Serbian government entered a new, brutal phase of oppression of the freedom of media and intimidation of journalists, aiming to completely disable the control role of the media and shut any independent critical opinion down.

In only two days, several alarming events occurred: KRIK portal and its Editor-in-Chief Stevan Dojcinovic have been exposed to the terrifying attacks organized by the ruling Movement of Socialists and several media, because they published investigative articles about the apartment owned by the Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin; under the political pressure, one of the most significant local media, weekly newspaper Vranjske has been shut down and its owner and Editor-in-Chief Vukasin Obradovic went on hunger strike; journalists Antonela Riha, Natasa Mijuskovic and Jelena Obucina are a target of today’s edition of “Informer”, that is presenting them as “yellow RTS hypocrites” and is basically calling its readers to confront them.

Although different at first glance, the above-mentioned events are undoubtedly connected by the fact that the government mobilized all the state institutions and pro-governmental media to fight against the ‘unsuitable’ media and journalists, as well as the non-existence of the adequate reaction of the citizens, domestic and international organizations to the constant pressures against the freedom of media.

Associations of journalists and media are asking citizens and NGOs to take an active role in the struggle for ensuring the freedom of media and expressions since it is certainly not only the matter for media professionals but a precondition to any democratic process and the protection of human rights.

We are also asking the international organizations to stop ignoring severe problems that journalists and media in Serbia are facing and to become actively involved in the protection of the democratic values that they have been promoting themselves.

Independent Journalists Association of Serbia
Independent Journalists Association of Vojvodina
Association of Online Media
Association of Independent Electronic Media
Association of the Local Independent Media

Vukašin Obradović se zaključao u redakciju, ne pušta nikog

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VRANJE, 19.09.2017. – Direktor nedeljnika Vranjske Vukašin Obradović, koji je otpočeo štrajk glađu nakon što je saopšteno da je nedeljnik ugašen, zatvorio se u redakciji i ne pušta nikog, javljaju Južne vesti.

Niko ne može da uđe, još uvek nije jasno zašto je Obradović tamo, a kolege se, prema pisanju ovog portala, polako okupljaju ispred prostorija redakcije.

„Kolegama je poručio da je to njegov vid borbe i da ne želi da razgovara ni sa kim. Ipak, na kratko je otvorio vrata advokatu i bivšem narodnom poslaniku SNS Draganu Nikoliću koji mu je rekao “da mu pruža moralnu i svaku drugu podršku“, navode Južne vesti.

Novinari iz Vranja se okupljaju ispred redakcije Vranjskih, a sve je veći i broj građana.

Podsetimo, juče je iznenada saopšteno da je nedeljnik Vranjske ugašen i da ga više neće biti na kioscima, zbog, kako se navodi u medijima, političkih i finansijskih pritisaka sa kojima su se suočavali.

Poreska inspekcija ih, inače, već nekoliko nedelja kontroliše.

Obradović je danas otpočeo štrajk glađu bez ikakvih zahteva, u želji da, kaže, skrene pažnju javnosti na „sav besmisao borbe za slobodu medija koju je vodio proteklih 30 godina“.

U svom potresnom pismu javnosti on ističe da je njegov čin potez očajnog čoveka, novinara, oca i supruga, koji ne vidi drugi način da zavrpi svoju novinarsku karijeru, a da istovremeno zadrži minimum dostojanstva neophodnog da bi se osećao kao čovek, kao ljudsko biće.

Smatra da u borbi za slobodu medija nije imao mnogo uspeha, „ni vi, ni ja“.

„I vreme je da se suočimo sa tom činjenicom. Nemam ni iluzija da će ovaj moj čin promeniti bilo šta u ovoj nesrećnoj zemlji ogrezloj u nepoštenju, amoralnosti, intelektualnoj i profesionalnoj prostituciji. Ne želim ni da izigravam heroja jer to nisam, pre svega, jer se užasno plašim za budućnost moje, ali i vaše dece. Ali, još je veća bojazan da nikako ne mogu da im pomognem. Ne tražim ničiju ni pomoć ni podršku. Čak ću takve ponude smatrati licemernim. Jer, onda kada je to bilo smisleno, nailazio sam na zatvorena vrata“, kaže ovaj novinar.

Dodao je da nema i neće imati bilo šta da pojašnjava na tu temu, zamolivši javnost da njegovu odluku poštuje.

Serbian Minister’s Party Vilifies Editor as ‘Drug Addict’

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BELGRADE, 19.09.2017. – After Serbia’s Crime and Corruption Reporting Network, KRIK, investigated the origin of money which Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin used to buy an apartment, his party called KRIK’s editor a “drug addict”.

Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin’s Movement of Socialists party lashed out after KRIK published a report on Monday alleging that Vulin bought an apartment in Belgrade under suspicious circumstances with money he had borrowed from his wife’s aunt in Canada.

Vulin’s party said in a statement that KRIK’s editor, Stevan Dojcinovic, was a “drug addict who needs to be tested for drugs”, and accused him of being paid by foreigners to attack the minister.

Dojcinovic described the statement from the Movement of Socialists, the junior partner in the ruling coalition in Serbia, as “bizarre”.

“But in it, they did not answer one question from our story or deny our discovery,” he told BIRN.

He also said he would take legal action.

“I will speak with lawyers and I will file charges against the person responsible [for the statement] at the Movement of Socialists,” he added.

KRIK’s report on Monday said the Serbian Anti-Corruption Agency sent a report to the prosecutor’s office in December 2015 after Vulin bought his apartment in Belgrade with 205,000 euros borrowed from his wife’s aunt.

But according to KRIK, the prosecutor’s office did nothing about the case for almost two years because, it said, the police ignored its request for them to investigate the matter.

However, after KRIK and the Insajder website first reported on the case in July this year, the prosecutor said it had ended the investigation and that there was no evidence that Vulin committed any criminal offence under its jurisdiction.

Vulin refused to comment on Monday’s KRIK allegations, but the Movement of Socialists insisted that all his property was registered and “earned by hard work”.

“Does the owner of KRIK have the courage to admit how much money he has received from foreigners in cash, undeclared?” the party’s statement asked.

“It’s no secret that Dojcinovic was paid from abroad for every article that attacks Vulin, and it’s not a secret he takes narcotics,” it alleged.

The statement also criticised him for having piercings and accused him of being anti-Serbian.

“Every enemy of Serbia is his friend, and anyone who loves Serbia and who fights for it, Dojcinovic hates immensely,” it said.

The party issued a second statement on Tuesday, again saying that Dojcinovic should take a drug test.

KRIK, which is also part of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), has won several prestigious Serbian and international awards.

On its website, it lists all its donors.

KRIK was mentioned in the lasted progress report on Serbia published by the European Commission in November 2016, in which it noted that the country had made no steps forward in terms of guaranteeing freedom of expression.

The Commission’s report criticised what is called the “environment of fear” created by the pro-government tabloid Informer last March when it exposed an ongoing investigation by KRIK.

Informer published pictures of Dojcinovic and his source, which some suspected were obtained from secret police surveillance.

Dojcinovic said that such attacks cannot destroy his reputation but could jeopardise his security and that of other KRIK journalists.

He recalled that police have still not yet found out who broke into the apartment of KRIK journalist Dragana Peco more than two months ago.

Vranje-based weekly closes, founder starts hunger strike

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VRANJE, 19.09.2017. – The founder of the Vranjske weekly, that was closed on Monday, and former NUNS President Vukasin Obradovic has begun a hunger strike.

Beta is reporting on Tuesday that he has done this “to draw attention to the pointlessness of the fight for media freedom.”

“I do not want to employ pathos, but this is a move of a desperate man who sees no other way to end his journalistic career while at the same time keeping at least the minimum personal respect and dignity necessary to feel like a human being,” said Obradovic.

He sent a letter to his colleagues from the email address of the Vranjske a day after it was announced that after more than two decades, this newspaper had ceased to exist.

Obradovic added that he was unable to separate journalism and Vranjske from the rest of his life, and did not want to turn the other way and trample on what he fought for the whole time, trying to push the boundaries of freedom and democracy in the town of Vranje and Serbia.

“I was not, unfortunately, very successful in that. Neither I, nor you. And it’s time to face this fact. I have no illusion that this act might change anything in this unfortunate country immersed in dishonor, amorality, intellectual and professional prostitution. I do not even want to play the hero because I’m not one, above all, because I’m terribly afraid for the future of my, but also your children. But there is an even greater fear that I cannot help them in any way. I’m not asking for anyone’s support. I will even consider such offers to be hypocritical. Because, when that made sense, I encountered closed doors,” Obradovic said.

He added that this was “only a gesture of a desperate man, journalist, father, and husband who is unable to cope with the reality that everyone is getting used to.”

“It is precisely because of the fear that I myself might sink into this meaningless everyday life and lose the only thing I have left – human and professional dignity – that I have decided to take this step,” Obradovic added.

The Vranjske founder added that “does not have and will not have” anything to to add or clarify on this subject – and asked the public to “respect his decision.”

Reports on Monday said that the print edition of the weekly and the website would be closed, as the company that published them was facing bankruptcy.

Unofficially, the reason behind the decision was “a grave financial crisis.”

On Tuesday, the BIRODI think tank said that the closure of Vranjske showed it was necessary to “reexamine the concept where the media are predominantly a thing of the market” and described free media as “the bread of democracy.”

The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) and the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina said the shutting down of the weekly, which they said was “among the best and the best-regarded local papers in Serbia” was “a direct consequence of long-term political pressure on media freedom, and terrifying news for media professionals.”

CJA strongly condemns physical attack against NOVA TV crew and calls again for proper authorities to protect journalists

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ZAGREB, 19.09.2017. – On Saturday, September 16, in Veliki Pašijan near Garešnica, Nova TV reporter Ema Branica, cameraman Alan Novak and his assistant Goran Jaganjac were physically attacked while shooting.

Brother of the person of interest of TV crew threatened and offended crew members and physically attacked Ema Branica, the journalist. She landed in a ditch and nearly bumped her head against concrete wall. The same person then attacked cameraman trying to break his camera.

According to „Provjereno“ show newsroom that was second attack against NOVA TV crew in last ten days. The first one occurred in Pula where Mate Barišić, NOVA TV journalist, was attacked and threatened by breaking his camera.

CJA calls again for proper institutions to protect journalists by publicly stating that attacks against journalists while doing their jobs constitute serious offence and will be penalized accordingly.

Saša Leković, CJA president for CJA Executive Board