Serbia: OK Radio owner Olivera Vladković, staff Threatened, Harassed By Local Influential Businessman

Location: Serbia, Vranje  
Date: September 8, 2022

The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls for immediate legal action to secure leading independent radio station OK Radio owner Olivera Vladković and its staff. Based in the southeastern town of Vranje, OK Radio is an independently funded and widely broadcast station for local news. For months Olivera and her staff are being obstructed by increasingly violent threats and intimidation attempts by a powerful local businessperson Dejan Nikolic, also known as Kantar. The CFWIJ extends support to Olivera and OK Radio and calls for their safety. The authorities must hold the perpetrator to account and ensure safe working conditions for the independent press. 

In March 2022, OK Radio filed a complaint against a company linked to Kantar about plans to illegally establish a gambling business on the site next to the radio station. Olivera told police that she was being threatened over the phone by Kantar for her approval for construction. He told her she would encounter “problems” if she did not comply. Pressure also began building on the media outlet and its staff, with Kantar’s men barging onto the premises carrying a phone on which Kantar could be heard screaming threats against employees. 

When OK Radio refused to budge, in April masked individuals smashed the windows of No Comment Café, which is attached to the radio station and provides for a large portion of OK Radio’s income. 

In June, the company linked to Kantar reportedly continued construction of its betting shop without permits and walled up one of the windows of the radio station overnight. OK Radio reported the news and shared pictures of illegal construction work. Subsequently, the café was vandalized again and a man was filmed spray painting the building. Another individual then entered the premises holding a mobile phone with the speaker on, through which Kantar could be heard screaming threats and insults at OK Radio journalists and staff. 

The continued escalation against OK Radio gained national attention over the months and in mid-June, representatives of Serbia’s Permanent Working Group for Safety of Journalists visited Vranje in support of the radio station. But posters were put up overnight in the district purportedly of a fake arrest warrant for Veran Matić, a leading member of the Working Group. Four men were reportedly tried but found not guilty of endangering the safety of Matić. 

On June 16, Kantar was arrested for violent behavior after he stormed the café and allegedly threatened OK Radio journalists and staff. Two other men, who allegedly carried out attacks on his behalf, were also detained. All three were criminally charged but have denied allegations. 

Kantar, known in Vranj as a terrorizing figure in the local gambling and construction industries, is currently serving separate sentences for violent behavior and illegal betting, according to local news reports. During his trial, on August 16, Kantar explicitly threatened Olivera and OK Radio telling them that they were right to be afraid. “The fact that you said in court that you are afraid, you are right, you have reasons to be afraid, and I will not stop…” Kantar reportedly also made thinly veiled death threats while making sounds of gunfire in the courtroom. 

Citing fears for their safety, at least two employees of OK Radio have left their jobs in recent months. Meanwhile, although a planning inspector has ordered for the illegally constructed building near the radio station to be demolished, local companies refused to take on the demolition for fear of retaliation by Kantar and his men. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is closely following the threats to OK Radio and harassment of its staff and owner. We condemn the attempts being made to prevent OK Radio from carrying out its journalistic activities and the attempts to intimidate its owner and staff. The CFWIJ stands in solidarity with Olivera Vladković and her staff at OK Radio. We call on the Serbian authorities to take immediate measures against Kantar and his accomplices. It is evident from his actions that Kantar feels no remorse for his actions. He believes he can compromise the safety of any journalist and remain immune to accountability. The state security apparatus must set a precedent by holding Kantar accountable and ensuring that journalists feel safe to do their jobs.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.