English version below
Autor: Veran Matić
Dok su obavljali svoju profesionalnu dužnost – izveštavanje o lokalnim izborima u gradu Boru i okolini – novinari „Revolta“ Lazar Dinić i Ivan Bjelić, zajedno sa frilenserskom, novinarkom Zoricom Popović, stigli su na biračko mesto van grada, u naselju Šarbanovac.
Ubrzo nakon toga, automobilom su stigla trojica maskiranih muškaraca. Prvo su Zorici Popović oteli telefon iz ruku i razbili ga, a zatim su je fizički napali, udarajući je pesnicama i nogama u stomak. Ivan Bjelić je pokušao da je zaštiti, ali je i on napadnut.
Napadači su bili u video komunikaciji s osobom koja im je davala uputstva, vređala Bjelića, nazivala ga „ustašom“ i pretila smrću.
Trojica maskiranih muškaraca su ga potom fizički napala, oduzela mu telefon i kameru i uništila ih. Ubrzo nakon toga, stigao je drugi automobil sa pet maskiranih osoba koje su iz prtljažnika izvadile sekire, napale Bjelića, oborile ga na zemlju i šutirale ga tako jako da su mu se očni kapci zatvorili i privremeno je izgubio vid.
Istovremeno, maskirani napadači su jurili Lazara Dinića i sustigli ga u blizini reke Timok, gde je bio podvrgnut mučenju. Pored batinanja, snimali su ga i terali da viče: „Aca je predsednik“.
Sa krvavim glavama, žrtve su prevezene u medicinsku ustanovu, gde im je ukazana pomoć. Zbog težine povreda, Lazar Dinić je kasnije kolima hitne pomoći prebačen u Klinički centar u Beogradu. Bjelić je takođe upućen na dalja ispitivanja.
Darko Gligorijević, novinar portala Zoomer, napadnut je u Bajinoj Bašti, udarali su ga pesnicama u glavu i prskali u oči biber sprejom. Miroslav Pantović, novinar portala Mačva njuz, napadnut je od strane muškaraca obučenih u crno; njegov fotoaparat i prateća oprema su oduzeti i uništeni. Tek nakon dolaska policije, polomljeni fotoaparat je vraćen, bez memorijske kartice. I Darko i Miroslav su primili medicinsku pomoć u lokalnom zdravstvenom centru.
U Kuli su novinari iz raznih medija bili ometani u svom radu – njihove kamere su oduzimane, snimanje je sprečavano, fizički su napadani, prećeno im je i vređani su...
Ipak, krvave glave – zapravo, pokušaj ubistva Lazara Dinića i Ivana Bjelića – izazivaju jezivu asocijaciju na ubistvo novinara Milana Pantića. Ubijen je 2001. godine u ranim jutarnjim satima, pretučen na smrt palicom ispred svoje zgrade. Ovog puta, pored palica, počinioci su nosili sekire i pokazali nivo brutalnosti tipičan za monstruozne režime. Pod udarcima, i dok su snimani, žrtve su bile primorane da viču: „Aca (Aleksandar Vučić) je predsednik!“ Mlada novinarka je više puta udarana u stomak, sa jasnom namerom da joj se nanesu trajne povrede.
Ovaj napad na novinare podseća na terorističke akte koji uključuju progon, fizičko i psihološko zlostavljanje, snimanje i prinudu da prenose političke poruke, uz zastrašivanje i ispitivanje o njihovom radu i angažmanu – sve pod pretnjom da će biti prebijeni sekirama.
Policija još jednom nije reagovala na vreme, stigavši na lice mesta tek kasnije. Iako su se počinioci vratili i prošli pored mesta nasilja, policajci su odbili zahtev žrtava da ih zaustave, identifikuju i pritvore.
Prošle nedelje, misija Saveta Evrope posetila je Srbiju, sastavljena od svih relevantnih međunarodnih organizacija za zaštitu novinarskih i medijskih sloboda – Međunarodne federacije novinara, Evropske federacije, Indeksa o cenzuri, Artikla 19, Komiteta za zaštitu novinara, Međunarodnog instituta za štampu i drugih. Njihov zaključak je bio da je položaj novinara u Srbiji najteži u Evropi i da nasilje eskalira.
Vlasti, posebno vladajuća stranka predsednika Vučića, jučerašnjim ponašanjem su, izgleda, ne samo potvrdile ove procene, već i signalizirale: „Možemo i gore.“ U proteklih godinu i po dana, Srbija je zabeležila rekordan broj napada na novinare.
Napadači dolaze iz redova maskiranih policajaca koje je regrutovala vladajuća stranka. Kriminalci, dileri droge, osobe osuđene za teško nasilje, osuđene ubice, uobičajeni nasilnici lečeni od psiholoških poremećaja, zlostavljači žena i slični profili čine jedinice raspoređene da preplave Srbiju – nastojeći da uliju strah svima sa drugačijim mišljenjem: studentima, građanima, aktivistima, novinarima i političkim protivnicima vladajuće stranke.
Srbija je u stalnom vanrednom stanju koje stvaraju maskirani, u crno obučeni, stranački povezani izvršitelji.
Medijska zajednica se pripremala za ove lokalne izbore u deset opština kao da se sprema za rat. Ujedinjeni u okviru Stalne radne grupe za bezbednost novinara, posetili smo sve ove lokacije pre izbora – razgovarajući sa lokalnim novinarima o dešavanjima, dajući preporuke i sastajući se sa lokalnim tužiocima da bismo razmotrili očekivanja.
Tokom naredne godine, širom Srbije će se održati parlamentarni i predsednički izbori. U proteklih godinu i po dana, bilo je 165 napada i pretnji novinarima, prema zvaničnoj statistici Vrhovnog javnog tužilaštva, od kojih su samo četiri rezultirala sudskim presudama. Nekažnjivost je gotovo apsolutna. Nasilje koje je viđeno tokom ovih lokalnih izbora samo će se intenzivirati u narednim mesecima.
Kada su u pitanju ubistva novinara, postoji i potpuna nekažnjivost. Ubistva Slavka Ćuruvije, Dade Vujasinović i Milana Pantića ostaju nerešena.
Nakon teških povreda, zastrašivanja i širenja samocenzure i cenzure, takvo nasilje će vrlo verovatno dovesti do novih žrtava među novinarima. To nisu samo naše procene sa terena, već i procene posmatrača iz međunarodnih organizacija.
Ne smemo dozvoliti da još jedan novinar bude ubijen. Ne samo zato što je to neprihvatljivo zlo, već zato što je jasno da bi se to zataškalo. Ubistvo novinara je najjeftiniji oblik cenzure, kako je neko jednom rekao – jeftino, bez posledica.
Zato ne smemo dozvoliti da ova „krvava nedelja“ u Srbiji postane trajno stanje. Novinarska solidarnost, zajedno sa solidarnošću među i sa građanima, je za sada ključna, dok međunarodne organizacije moraju da održe stalnu misiju u Srbiji kako bi sprečile da postane još jedna mračna Rusija ili Belorusija – još jedna zemlja bez novinara i bez nezavisnih medija.
Autor je predsednik Upravnog odbora Asocijacije nezavisnih elektronskih medija (ANEM), član Stalne radne grupe za bezbednost novinara i operater na Sigurnoj liniji za novinare 0800 100 115
“Bloody Sunday” for Journalists in Serbia
Election day on Sunday in Serbia became a bloody Sunday for journalists. The shattered, battered and bloodied heads of journalists symbolize the image of elections in ten municipalities across Serbia.
While carrying out their professional duty—covering local elections in the city of Bor and its surroundings— "Revolt" journalists Lazar Dinić and Ivan Bjelić, along with freelance journalist Zorica Popović, arrived at a polling station outside the city, in the settlement of Šarbanovac.
Shortly thereafter, three masked individuals arrived by car. They first snatched Zorica Popović’s phone from her hands and smashed it, then physically assaulted her, punching and kicking her in the stomach. Ivan Bjelić tried to protect her, but he too was attacked.
The attackers were in video communication with a person who was giving them instructions, hurling insults at Bjelić, calling him an “Ustaša” and issuing death threats.
The three masked men then physically assaulted him, seizing his phone and camera and destroying them. Soon after, another car arrived carrying five masked individuals who took axes out of the trunk, attacked Bjelić, knocked him to the ground and kicked him so severely that his eyelids swelled shut and he temporarily lost his sight.
At the same time, the masked attackers chased Lazar Dinić and caught up with him near the Timok River, where he was subjected to torture. In addition to beating him, they filmed him and forced him to shout, “Aca is president.”
With bloodied heads, the victims were transported to a medical facility where they received assistance. Due to the severity of his injuries, Lazar Dinić was later transferred by ambulance to the Clinical Center in Belgrade. Bjelić was also referred for further examinations.
Darko Gligorijević, a journalist with the Zoomer portal, was attacked in Bajina Bašta, punched in the head and sprayed in the eyes with pepper spray. Miroslav Pantović, a journalist with the Mačva News portal, was attacked by men dressed in black; his camera and accompanying equipment were seized and destroyed. Only after the police arrived was the broken camera returned, without its memory card, though. Both Darko and Miroslav received medical treatment at a local health center.
In Kula, journalists from various media outlets were obstructed in their work—their cameras were seized, filming was prevented, they were physically attacked, threatened, and insulted…
Yet the bloodied heads—indeed, the attempted murder of Lazar Dinić and Ivan Bjelić—evoke a chilling association with the killing of journalist Milan Pantić. He was murdered in 2001 in the early morning hours, beaten to death with a club in front of his apartment building. This time, in addition to clubs, the perpetrators carried axes and displayed a level of brutality typical of monstrous regimes. Under blows, and while being filmed, the victims were forced to shout: “Aca (Aleksandar Vučić) is president!” The young female journalist was repeatedly hit in the stomach, with the clear intent of inflicting lasting injuries.
This attack on journalists resembles terrorist acts involving persecution, physical and psychological abuse, filming, and coercion to deliver political messages, along with intimidation and interrogation about their work and engagement—all under the threat of being bludgeoned with axes.
Once again, the police failed to respond in time, arriving only later at the scene. Although the perpetrators returned and drove past the site of the violence, officers refused the victims’ request to stop, identify, and detain them.
Last week, a mission of the Council of Europe visited Serbia, composed of all relevant international organizations for the protection of journalistic and media freedom—the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation, Index on Censorship, Article 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute, and others. Their conclusion was that the position of journalists in Serbia is the most difficult in Europe and that violence is escalating.
The authorities, particularly the ruling party of President Vučić, seemed through yesterday’s conduct not only to confirm these assessments but to signal: “We can do even worse.” Over the past year and a half, Serbia has recorded record numbers of attacks on journalists.
The attackers come from the ranks of masked enforcers recruited by the ruling party. Criminals, drug dealers, individuals convicted of serious violence, convicted killers, habitual thugs treated for psychological disorders, abusers of women, and similar profiles make up units deployed to flood Serbia—seeking to instill fear in anyone with a different opinion: students, citizens, activists, journalists, and political opponents of the ruling party.
Serbia is in a constant state of emergency created by masked, black-clad, party-affiliated enforcers.
The media community prepared for these local elections in ten municipalities as if preparing for war. United within the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, we visited all these locations ahead of the elections—speaking with local journalists about developments, issuing recommendations, and meeting with local prosecutors, discussing expectations.
Over the next year, parliamentary and presidential elections will take place across Serbia. In the past year and a half, there have been 165 attacks and threats against journalists, according to official statistics from the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, of which only four have resulted in court verdicts. Impunity is nearly absolute. The violence witnessed during these local elections will only intensify in the coming months.
When it comes to the murders of journalists, there is also total impunity. The killings of Slavko Ćuruvija, Dada Vujasinović, and Milan Pantić remain unsolved.
Beyond severe injuries, intimidation, and the spread of self-censorship and censorship, such violence is highly likely to lead to new victims among journalists. These are not only our assessments from the field, but also those of observers from international organizations.
We must not allow another journalist to be killed. Not only because it is an unacceptable evil, but because it is clear it would be covered up. The murder of a journalist is the cheapest form of censorship, as someone once said—low cost, with no consequences.
That is why we must not allow this “bloody Sunday” in Serbia to become a permanent condition. Journalistic solidarity, along with solidarity among and with citizens, is crucial for now, while international organizations must maintain a permanent mission in Serbia to prevent it from becoming another dark Russia or Belarus—another country without journalists and without independent media.
The author is the president of the Management Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), a member of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, and an operator on the Safe Line for Journalists 0800 100 115.