Vienna, 21/07/2014
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe, is concerned to hear about the physical attack Zivko Perisic, a Beta News Agency journalist.
The motive behind this attack was an article Perisic wrote in January this year, about a fellow citizen who was stealing electricity. The news was followed by a quote from a local businessperson who confirmed that the person was being prosecuted for this crime.
The journalist was threatened, insulted , and attacked physically in the town of Gornji Milanovac,.
Perišić immediately reported the attack to the police, the judiciary in Gornji Milanovac, and notified journalist associations.
SEEMO is alarmed at the number of cases and different types of pressure Serbian journalists have been under for the last several months on local level, and calls on authorities to react and punish the perpetrator according to law. This would be a step forward in democratizing the society and protecting media freedom.