Attacks on journalists, Vojislav Milovancevic, Belgrade, 08.07.2020.

Translations: Beograd 

BELGRADE, July 9, 2020 – During a protest in front of the National Assembly photojournalist of TV Nova S Vojislav Milovancevic, was attacked, with one person hitting him in the back of the head. The journalist was attacked by a group of guys in black T-shirts, with hoods. The head injuries sustained by the journalist are believed to have been caused by a blow from a boxer or some other metal object. Although at first, it seemed that it was more serious, according to the journalists, the injury was registered as a minor bodily injury. The journalist says that the attack followed after he heard one of those young men say “now is the time, now we are moving”. The case was reported to the police after medical assistance was provided at the Emergency Center. The police soon informed Vojislav that the case was forwarded to the First Basic Prosecutor’s Office, which reacted urgently and gave an order to the Ministry of the Interior to gather additional information. Very quickly, through the recordings in the possession of the Ministry of the Interior, the suspect was discovered and taken into custody. According to media reports, the man G. B. (41) from Pancevo admitted at the hearing in the prosecutor’s office that during the civil protest he attacked and hit with a “boxer” in the head the journalist of the Nova.rs portal Vojislav Milovancevic, who was doing his job at the time.

The suspect in the attack was sentenced to one year of house arrest by a plea agreement, which was confirmed by the competent court. As they explained from the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office, the sanction for this act seems adequate to them, considering the fact that the defendant could have not admitted guilt because if the defendant had denied or kept silent, the question is what would happen because the journalist who was attacked and injured, Vojislav Milovancevic, stated that he could not recognize him.