Serbia: CFWIJ Demands An Investigation Into The Death Threats That Juzne Vesti’s Journalists Face
Location: Serbia
Date: January 21, 2021
PHOTO CREDIT: JUZNE VESTI
Juzne Vesti news portal’s editorial staff and their children were targeted by threats of death and rape due to the conflict incident story they published. The police investigate these brutal attacks against the journalists. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is deeply concerned about the journalists' safety. We demand Serbian authorities to investigate the attacks and identify the perpetrators.
According to the SafeJournalist’s report, on December 21, 2020, a day after airing the story about a security staff fired a gun on a group of men approaching a private property and injured an individual in Nis, Juzne Vesti’s editorial staff became the target of serious death and rape threats.
Among the messages posted under the commentary section in the news outlet: "My sincere wishes to all journalists in Juzne Vesti, for immigrants to brutally rape their children to death", "You must hang in public broadcasts" and "Let them hang on trees like ornaments."
The police confirmed that the threats came from a single IP address after the incident was reported to them. The Special Prosecution Office for High Tech Crime is now investigating the incident and the perpetrators.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism reiterates that such online threats can have serious consequences. We urge the authorities to take the notice seriously reported by the news outlet. Journalists have been targeted online smear campaigns many times. Some were even attacked after receiving such threats. Therefore, we demand Serbian authorities to take the necessary precautions regarding the security of journalists and to find the perpetrators of the threats.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.