The Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation (https://www.slavkocuruvijafondacija.rs/en/) received a death threat on 3 December 2024 on its Facebook page, posted by a user. The comment, written in capital letters, read: “And why does this concern you from Ćuruvija, be careful, there are more Easters, hands became gilded.” This reference to Easter carries a chilling significance, as journalist Slavko Ćuruvija was murdered on Easter Sunday, 11 April 1999 in front of his Belgrade, Serbia, residence, following days of surveillance by state intelligence service operatives about what reports where published. He was also attacked in 1999 in media controlled by that time President of Serbia Slobodan Milošević and his wife Mirjana Marković.
The Foundation reported the threat to the Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime in Belgrade, Serbia, emphasizing the seriousness of the message, which they view as a glorification of Ćuruvija’s murder and a potential incitement to further violence. Ivana Stevanović, the Foundation’s director, stated that the account does not appear to be fake, making identification of the individual behind it more feasible. Legal proceedings are underway to investigate and address the threat.
This development comes in a fraught context. Earlier this year, an appellate court overturned convictions against four former state intelligent service officers who had been sentenced to 100 years in total for Ćuruvija’s murder. The case remains unresolved, as do the killings of other Serbian journalists. The Foundation, which was established by Ćuruvija’s children, has also faced lawsuits from individuals, compounding the pressures on its mission to promote media freedom.
You can read the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation article here: https://www.slavkocuruvijafondacija.rs/en/slavko-curuvija-foundation-receives-death-threat/
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the recent death threat made against the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation via Facebook. This heinous act, referencing the tragic 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, underscores the persistent threats faced by media professionals in Serbia. SEEMO calls for swift and thorough action by Serbian authorities to identify and prosecute the perpetrator behind this threat, as such intimidation is intolerable in any democratic society. SEEMO will closely monitor the situation to ensure that justice is served and the safety of journalists and media organizations is upheld.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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