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

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19/09/2017

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

Udruženja: Nova faza gušenja medijskih sloboda i zastrašivanja novinara

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IJAS

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19/09/2017

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BEOGRAD, 19.09.2017. – Novinarska i medijska udruženja upozoravaju građane i međunarodne institucije da je vlast u Srbiji ušla u novu, brutalnu fazu gušenja medijskih sloboda i zastrašivanja novinara, sa ciljem da u potpunosti onemogući kontrolnu ulogu medija i slomi bilo kakav slobodni kritički glas.

U samo dva dana desilo se nekoliko više nego zabrinjavajućih događaja: portal Krik i njegov urednik Stevan Dojčinović izloženi su zastrašujućem napadu vladajućeg Pokreta socijalista i pojedinih medija zbog objavljivanja istraživačkih priloga o stanu ministra odbrane Aleksandra Vulina; pod političkim pritiskom ugašen je jedan od najznačajnijih lokalnih medija, nedeljnik Vranjske, a njen vlasnik i urednik Vukašin Obradović započeo je štrajk glađu; novinarke Antonela Riha, Nataša Mijušković i Jelena Obućina brutalna su meta današnjeg „Informera“, koji ih naziva „žutim RTS licemerkama“ i praktično poziva na obračun sa njima.

Iako na prvi pogled različiti, ovi događaji imaju nedvosmisleno jasan zajednički sadržilac, a to je vlast koja je u obračun sa nepodobnim medijima i novinarima upregla sve državne institucije i sebi bliske medije, kao i nepostojanje adekvatne reakcije građana, domaćih i međunarodnih organizacija na konstantne pritiske na medijske slobode.

Novinarska i medijska udruženja pozivaju građane i organizacije civilnog društva da se u većoj meri uključe u borbu za medijske slobode i slobodu izražavanja, jer to svakako nije samo pitanje koje se tiče samo medijskih profesionalaca, već preduslov bilo kakvog demokratskog procesa i zaštite ljudskih prava.

Pozivamo i međunarodne organizacije da prestanu da ignorišu veoma ozbiljne probleme koje novinari i mediji u Srbiji imaju, i aktivnije se uključe u zaštitu demokratskih vrednosti za koje se zalažu.

Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije – NUNS
Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine – NDNV
Asocijacija onlajn medija – AOM
Asocijacije nezavisnih elektronskih medija – ANEM
Asocijacija Lokal pres – LP

NUNS i NDNV: Gašenje Vranjskih – posledica konstantnih političkih pritisaka

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IJAS

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19/09/2017

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VRANJE, 19.09.2017. – Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije (NUNS) i Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine (NDNV) smatraju da je gašenje nedeljnika Vranjske, jednog od najboljih i najuglednijih lokalnih listova u zemlji – direktna posledica dugotrajnih političkih pritisaka na medijske slobode i zastrašujuća vest za medijske profesionalce.

Nažalost, veoma je mali broj medija u zemlji koji profesionalno izveštavaju, u interesu građana a ne vlasti, i upravo su ti mediji izloženi dramatičnim pritiscima i kampanjama gušenja, pri čemu se vlast ne libi da otvoreno instrumentalizuje državne institucije u tu svrhu – od raznih inspekcijskih službi do pravosuđa.

Dok su mediji koji nisu pod kontrolom vlasti izloženi konstantnim pritiscima, pretnjama, kampanjama, ucenama, iscrpljujućim posetama raznih inspekcija, začuđujućim sudskim odlukama koje su u suprotnosti sa konceptom medijskih sloboda i praksom Evropskog suda za ljudska prava u Strazburu, i dok im je skoro u potpunosti onemogućen pristup novcu građana namenjenom javnom interesu u sferi javnog informisanja – dotle režimski mediji troše enormne količine novaca poreskih obveznika, opraštaju im se poreski dugovi i omogućavaju brojne druge olakšice i stimulacije.

Dok napade i pretnje novinarima i medijima koji nisu po volji vlasti niko ne odgovara godinama, dotle tužilaštvo i policija pokazuju nevereovatnu efikasnost kada su u pitanju pretnje i napadi na predstavnike vlasti i medija njima bliskih – što govori o još jednom veoma zabrinavajućem obliku diskriminacije.

Posebno su na udaru lokalni mediji koji su izloženi samovolji lokalnih političkih kabadahija i koji imaju veoma ograničeno i siromašno tržište, a i ono je u velikoj meri zavisno od vlasti.

U ovakvoj situaciji, nikoga – ni građane, ni nevladin sektor, ni međunarodne organizacije – ne bi trebalo da iznenadi ukoliko se Srbija veoma uskoro, jednog jutra probudi bez ijednog slobodnog profesionalnog medija; nadamo se da gašenje Vranjskih nije znak da su medijske slobode u Srbiji, bar one na lokalnom nivou, doživele konačni poraz pod pritiskom vlasti.

Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije
Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine
Beograd-Novi Sad, 19. septembar 2017.

Vukašin Obradović on hunger strike

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BHJA

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19/09/2017

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Vranje, 19 September 2017 – The founder of the shut-down “Vranjske” newspaper and former President of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia Vukašin Obradović announced that he had embarked on a hunger strike, aiming to draw the attention of his fellow-journalists and the public to the purposeless fight for the freedom of the media he had been waging in the last thirty years. Free Europe reports

“I don’t want to be pathetic, but this is a move of a desperate man who sees no other way to end his journalist career while trying to keep the mere minimum of personal respect and dignity, so that I can still feel as a “human being”, Obradović said in the announcement he sent from the “Vranjske” e-mail address, a day after it had been announced that the newspaper would cease to exist after more than two decades of work.

Obradović added that he could not separate journalism and “Vranjske” from the rest of his life and that he did not wish to turn to the other side and thus annihilate everything he had been fighting for, striving to push the limits of freedom and democracy in Vranje and Serbia.

“Unfortunately, I was not very successful. Neither were you. It is time to face the fact. I have no illusions that what I am doing is going to change anything in this wretched country so deeply rooted in dishonesty, amorality and intellectual and professional prostitution. I do not pretend to be a hero because I know I am no hero. I am first and foremost concerned about the future of both my own and your children. An even graver concern is that there is no way I can possibly help them. I do not seek anybody’s assistance or support. I shall moreover consider such offers hypocritical for the simple reason that, when help could have made a difference, all the doors were closed.” said Obradović. (Beta reports)

He added that he was a mere reaction of a desperate man, journalist, father, and husband, incapable of facing the reality all people have started to grow accustomed to.

“It is the fear of drowning into this meaningless routine and losing the only thing I have left – my personal and professional dignity – that made me do this”, Obradović added.

The founder of “Vranjske” newspapers added that he did not and would never have anything to clarify or add to this topic and asked the public to respect his decision.

Jovo Martinović’s trial continues

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TUMM

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19/09/2017

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Podgorica, 19/09/2017 – The High Court in Podgorica has continued the trial to Montenegrin investigative journalist Jovo Martinović, one of the accused for international smuggling of narcotics, with listening of telephone records from secret surveillance measures.

He has been charged with the criminal offense – creating a criminal organization- (Article 401a, paragraph 2, related to paragraph 6 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro), as well as unauthorized production, possession and retailing of narcotics (Article 300 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro). That was the reason why he was detained for 14 months. Martinović was in the Remand Prison from the end of October 2015 until the beginning of 2017. His case is specific in many aspects, among others because of the fact that this is the first case of journalist being suspected for criminal act related to organized crime.

Martinović claims that he is innocent and that he was arrested while on duty. This was also confirmed by the French production company CAPA Presse, which immediately after Martinović’s arrest had confirmed that he was working on a story for them, and that was the reason why he was connected with the accused Duško Martinović. They also confirmed that they were familiar with that fact.

Yesterday’s continuation of the main hearing was focused on listening of records of telephone conversations of Duško Martinović. Records and SMS messages were provided to the High Court by the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the Croatian Uskok. The hearing will be continued the next Monday, 25^th September.

Određen pritvor do 30 dana napadaču na novinarke Pinka

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IJAS

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19/09/2017

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BEOGRAD, 19.09.2017. – Sudija za prethodni postupak Višeg suda u Beogradu doneo je danas, nakon saslušanja osumnjičenog D.V., rešenje kojim mu je odredio pritvor do 30 dana osumnjičenom. Pritvor je određen ’’zbog postojanja osobitih okolnosti koje ukazuju da će ometati postupak uticanjem na svedoke’’.

Protiv navedenog resenja osumnjiceni i njegov branilac mogu izjaviti žalbu krivičnom vanraspravnom veću u roku od tri dana od prijema rešenja.

Osumnjičenom se stavlja na teret izvršenje krivičnog dela nasilničko ponašanje na sportskoj priredbi ili javnom skupu.

Više javno tužilaštvo je tražilo od Višeg suda da odredi pritvor osumnjičenom D. V. za napad na novinarke TV Pink, zbog mogućnosti uticaja na svedoke i opasnosti da okrivljeni ponovi delo.

D.V. je na protestu pristalica Dveri ispred televizije Pink, kojem je prisustvovalo oko 250 ljudi fizički napao i udario novinarke TV Pink Gordanu Uzelac i Maru Dragović.

Serbia: Journalists from Magločistač web portal receive death threats

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IJAS

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18/09/2017

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BRUSSELS, 18.09.2017. – On 4 September 2017, journalists and media workers working for the Serbian Subotica Magločistač news portal received explicit death threats because of an article entitled “We are all Gosa workers, and all the rulers are Labans” (Svi smo mi radnici Goše, a vladari Labani).

Following the publication of this article, the team of journalists were threatened with harsh words in the comments section. The article referred to the death threats made by Bogdan Laban, the mayor of Subotica, directed against one of his party colleagues, Magločistač news portal reported about that event.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly condemns the death threats against media professionals and is supporting the Western Balkans Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in expressing the deepest concerns and calling on the Serbian authorities to take appropriate steps to identify the authors of these dangerous threats and sanction them.

“The protection of journalists in Serbia is ineffective and the number of threats, especially through social networks, increases annually. More and more individuals act alone or are being instructed to send horrible threats to journalists only because they are doing their job. By not publicly condemning attacks on journalists and media, public officials silently support policy of impunity and as such have not right to speak about freedom, democracy the European path of Serbia,” said Svetozar Rakovic, Secretary General of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS).

The EFJ will submit the case to the Council of Europe’s platform for the protection of journalism and to the Mapping Media Freedom project.

CJA noted Parliament members they were guilty of erosion of HRT

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CJA

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17/09/2017

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ZAGREB, 17.09.2017. – At the protest initiated by elimination of HTV show Croatia live the CJA passed around leaflets to the Parliament members and ministers. The idea was to make them aware of their responsibility for the situation at the public broadcaster and media service.

The protest was organized at the St. Marco Square and was initiated by elimination of HTV show Croatia live without any explanation and in the last moment, just before starting new autumn schedule. That was just the latest move in series of decisions of HRT Management that led to deterioration of professionalism and inspired new model of welcomed journalists’ behavior – politically obedient. CJA finds that public media service will become something opposite to its lawful obligation – it will not be mean of education, but just the opposite.

Real reasons for non-professional decisions by HRT management are decisions made by politicians. They make possible certain scandalous program decisions, as the Croatian Parliament decides on HRT general manager. And four out of five members of Supervisory Board are decided by the Croatian Parliament. Last Board was released after it revealed many unlawful decisions in HRT managing. Consequently, new autumn HTV season was presented without necessary decision of Supervisory Board.

Because of that CJA decided to direct its protest towards Parliament members and to give each one a leaflet saying they are to be aware of their responsibility for public broadcaster. The Prime Minister as well as ministers who came to the Parliament session at the very beginning of its new season were given leaflets too.

You may find the leaflet here.

CJA

Police and Prosecution endangered privacy of journalist Otašević

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TUMM

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16/09/2017

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PODGORICA, 15/09/2017 – Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM) expresses its disappointment with the action of the Police and the Prosecution which seized a mobile phone from their colleague Vladimir Otašević, who was recently threatened by the brother of Prime Minister Duško Marković, Velizar Marković.

It is understandable that they needed a recording of a telephone conversation, but it is unclear why they decided to seize a phone that, besides that recording, has a number of private and business data, which are necessary for the journalists’ work.

Thus, the Police and the Prosecutor’s Office came into possession of all his e-mails and other accounts, documents he exchanged with interlocutors, private correspondence and photographs. We consider it as unnecessary breach of our colleague Otašević privacy and it in no way contributes to untaggling case caused by Marković.

The authenticity of the footage is not questioned neither by Velizar nor by the Prime Minister, Duško Marković which makes the action of the Police Directorate and the Prosecutor’s Office even more surprising. Namely they want to examine the recording forensically. Thus, instead of helping Otašević, they exposed them to additional inconveniences.

We remind that brother of the Prime Minister Duško Marković, Velizar Marković made death threats to journalist of Daily Dan Otašević. Marković in a phone call, along with many primitive and vulgar curses, said to Otašević: “If you f**king continue to use for political purposes my back trying to understand things, then don’t ask yourself why someone gets killed. Do you get it?”

We urge to representatives of the Police Directorate to reconsider their decision and to return the phone as soon as possible to our colleague Otašević who needs it for his work. We expect the Prosecution to inform the public as soon as possible about the outcome of the proceedings they are conducting.

Safejournalists.net