27. 03. 2014

STRICT PUNISHMENTS FOR EVERY ATTACK ON JOURNALISTS NEEDED

The attack on journalists is an attack on democracy, which stifles media freedom. Therefore, protection of journalists must be a continuous priority, noted the participants of the round table "Who, What, Where, How?", held at the Belgrade Media Center.

The experts warn that attacks on journalists can be seen as the most extreme form of censorship. There were 23 attacks on journalists in Serbia last year, and the bad news is that in all the cases there were no sanctions for the attackers.

Gordana Predić, State Secretary from the Ministry for Culture and Media, said that Serbia must create a better environment for journalists, and not self-censorship.

"Journalists work in the interest of the public and they are the eyes of democracy", Predić pointed out.

She stressed that the most vulnerable journalists are those practicing investigative reporting, not only in Serbia, but also worldwide.

Expert Milan Žarković stressed that Serbia has "the most chaotic law on expert investigation" where order is urgently needed.

Also, the issue of witness protection is of crucial importance.

"We do not have witnesses because we can not provide them with adequate protection", Žarković said.

Miroslav Janković, legal adviser with the Media Department of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, said that in the past eight years (in the OSCE region) 30 journalists were killed, and in 90% of cases the perpetrators have not been punished.

"Conducting swift investigations in such cases has to be a priority so that the perpetrators would not go unpunished. Every attack on a journalist is an attack on democracy, and that stifles media freedom", Janković pointed out.

Journalists under Police Protection

Four journalists live with police protection in Serbia currently because their lives are in danger according to security assessments.

These journalists are Brankica Stanković and Veran Matić (B92), correspondent for "Novosti" from Loznica Vladimir Mitrić, and Tamara Marković Subota (journalists of daily "Blic").

"I have been under siege of the police protection for four years now. It is not pleasant at all...", said Matić, who is the President of the Committee to Investigate Murders of Journalists and President of the B92 Board of Directors.

He pointed out that his case is linked to the case of Brankica Stanković. "It is about accumulated danger, and it is not easy at all to work under such conditions", Matić said.

Matić reminded the participants of the murders of journalists Slavko Ćuruvija, Dada Vujasinović and Milan Pantić and added that 36 additional journalists have been murdered since 1991, among whom 16 media professionals of the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) killed during bombing of Belgrade, and journalists who were killed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

None of these murders has been solved.

As the participants of the round table noted, a big problem are people in the judiciary and the police who are not exactly acquainted with journalism profession and that is why a certain number of judges and policemen should be specialized in this area.

Media Laws Undergoing Control in Brussels

Gordana Predić said that three media laws are currently being produced and compared with the European legislation. "I hope that we will get a good assessment since for the first time we have an article stipulating that a journalist can decline an opinion from the editor if it is in collision with the rules of the profession... These laws could be in the parliamentary procedure by June", said Predić. She said that two laws are undergoing expertise in Brussels, and that the formation of the new government is awaited as it should adopt three proposals of media laws, which, as she stated, should have been done last April.