November 20, 2016

20/11/2016: SERBIA – SEEMO CONDEMNS THREATS AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND OTHER VIOLATIONS IN SERBIA

Vienna, 20/11/2016

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemned the recent threats against journalist Sajma Redzepefendic from Novi Pazar, Serbia, and the lack of court penalties against a local politician who attacked journalist Aleksandar Cupic.

Redzepefendic became a target of anonymous threats in the past several days, after a local media outlet shared her Facebook post about the treatment of single mothers by employees in the Islam community in Serbia. After voicing her criticism, the journalist was threatened, along with her family and ten month old child.

On 5 May, Aleksandar Cupic was on site filming with his colleagues near Vrsac, Serbia, when local businessman ran into Cupic with his vehicle. Just a month earlier, Cupic wrote several articles regarding this businessman. After the businessman admitted to having attacked Aleksandar Cupic, charges against him were dropped.

SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.