The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS/IJAS) and the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM/AIEM) strongly condemn the latest threats against the editorial team of the daily newspaper Danas, which followed the publication of a cartoon by Predrag Koraksić Corax, as well as the physical attack on Marko Dragoslavić, which occurred while he was photographing a building—on which a work ban had been issued—from a public space.
The day after Corax’s cartoon of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić appeared on the front page of Danas, the newsroom received a threat via Facebook Messenger from an account under the name Mikica Kljajić, stating that they could be hit by “a bomb or a rocket launcher, so that they scatter.” The message ended with the words: “We’ll come to your home a bit.” The case was reported to the Office of the Prosecutor for High-Tech Crime. This is not the first time Danas has faced serious threats; one of the most alarming, still without a judicial outcome, warned that they would “end up like Charlie Hebdo.”
Following the publication of the cartoon, pro-government tabloids launched a coordinated campaign against Corax, publishing nearly identical articles accusing him of calling for the death of the president and for acts of terrorism, along with “recommendations” to the prosecution to react. The author himself has clearly stated that the message of the cartoon was that “Vučić snapped – mentally, not physically.”
On August 12, 2025, Marko Dragoslavić was physically assaulted by an unidentified man because he was photographing, from a public area, a building on which the construction inspectorate had previously issued a work ban. The assailant first threatened him and then attacked him, while another individual attempted to hit Dragoslavić with a vehicle and continued to follow him as he ran to escape the attackers. Dragoslavić tried to flee but was caught in a nearby flower shop, knocked to the ground, and repeatedly punched. Police arrived after receiving a call, stopped the attack, and offered him medical assistance. The incident was reported immediately; the police drafted an official report, and a few hours later, the person suspected of the attack was apprehended.
IJAS and AIEM warn that such incidents represent a serious threat to media freedom and journalist safety, and call on the competent authorities to:
- urgently identify and prosecute the individual who made the threats to Danas;
- investigate and prosecute the attacker of Marko Dragoslavić;
- ensure effective protection for all journalists who are targets of threats, physical assaults, and smear campaigns.
We remind the public that every instance of impunity for attacks and threats against journalists encourages further incidents and creates an atmosphere of fear, thereby directly undermining the public’s right to be informed.
