One individual from South Serbia has issued threats to members of the regional news agency JUGpress (https://jugpress.com/) over Facebook. These threats were posted in a comment on JUGpress’s Facebook page regarding an article about Leskovac high school students participating in a symbolic protest. The protest, which involved standing in silence for 15+1 minutes, honors victims of a tragedy at a railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia, where a roof collapse claimed 15 lives on 1 November 2024. The extra minute commemorates a student from Leskovac tragically killed near his school on 27 November 2024.
You can read JUGpress article about the case here: https://jugpress.com/aktivista-sns-a-vulgarno-vredja-srednjoskolce-i-preti-lincom-novinarima-jugpress-a-zbog-pisanja-o-njihovom-protestu/
This person left an obscene and derogatory comment about the students who participate in the protest. After being warned against using such language he later was threatening JUGpress journalists.
Adding to the controversy, this individual has claimed on his Facebook profile to be affiliated with security agencies.
His aggressive conduct has persisted even after being questioned by police, and his Facebook activity reveals a close alignment with the Serbian Progressive Party (Srpska NaprednaStranka – SNS). His alignment with the ruling party raises further concerns about political motivations behind his threats and actions.
JUGpress journalists have expressed alarm for their safety and that of their families. Despite the intimidation, the media company remains committed to public-interest journalism, a mission it has upheld for 18 years. They urge Serbian authorities, particularly the Ministry of Interior, to thoroughly investigate this person’s claims of security affiliations and whether his threats stem from deeper, politically motivated agendas.
This situation underscores the pressing need for accountability and protections for journalists in Serbia, ensuring freedom of expression and public safety remain uncompromised.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the threats and vulgar comments directed at high school students and journalists of the regional news agency JUGpress by one inividual. Such actions are unacceptable and represent a direct attack on freedom of expression, independent journalism, and the safety of those exercising their democratic rights. SEEMO urges the Serbian authorities to thoroughly investigate these threats and take immediate action to ensure the safety of the journalists and students involved. SEEMO will be closely monitoring this case to ensure accountability and to support the principles of press freedom and public safety.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regionalnon-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives andleading journalists in Southeast, South,East and Central Europe. SEEMOmembers 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, NorthMacedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia,Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine andUzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and SanMarino have a special statusin SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members,and additional mediaas corporate members.
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