All the activities of the NUNS in the issue of providing protective equipment to journalists are related to the actions of the police in the previous months and to what the state authorities announce and predict themselves, NUNS lawyer and researcher Rade Đurić tells “Vreme”
Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) she condemned and assessed as dangerous the statement of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić that on November 1 in Novi Sad, “no one will cause violence except for journalists to whom journalist associations distribute helmets”, and pointed out that such rhetoric was again joined by pro-government tabloids.
“In that way, the President of Serbia is indirectly encouraging violence against to journalists, especially at gatherings where they are constantly under attack, including by the police who are supposed to protect them,” ANEM states.
Vučić’s statement followed the notification Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUNS) that the organization has procured and continues to procure helmets and ordinary fluorescent PRESS vests for its members.
NUNS also stated that it is currently procuring protective PRESS bulletproof vests.
“Due to the long-term social crisis and protests that have lasted for almost a year, the risks to the safety of journalists are high. Since the beginning of the year, NUNS has recorded 289 threats, pressures and attacks on media workers,” stated NUNS in the explanation of its announcement.
The police beat journalists at least 10 times
NUNS lawyer and researcher Rade Đurić tells “Vreme” that all activities of NUNS in the issue of providing protective equipment to journalists are related to police in the previous months and for what the state authorities announce and predict themselves.
“Representatives of the authorities encourage violence against journalists, and the equipment is actually procured in agreement with international journalist associations and organizations that recognized the potential situation that could happen. The only logical way was to get such equipment,” Đurić told “Vreme”.
He points out that there will be no bulletproof vests for journalists 1. November, than that it is an announcement for some future events, but reminds that NUNS has helmets, which were already part of the equipment worn by journalists.
“The reason why journalists wear helmets is that there are at least 10 examples of truncheons hitting journalists on the head, who sometimes had and sometimes didn’t have helmets, so it is logical that we start getting them. So, the reason for everything is the actions of the police, nothing else,” concludes Đurić.
Incendiary statements against critical media
In its condemnation of Vučić’s statement, ANEM reminded that in the past few years, and especially after November 1 of last year, the safety of journalists in Serbia has been at a worrying level.
He states that “incendiary statements against critical media by, first of all, the president of the state and other top state officials” directly contributed to this.
ANEM points out that such statements gave a “wind at the back” of the pro-regime tabloids and television stations with national frequencies to continue negative campaigns and targeting of a certain number of journalists, which led to Serbia recording a record number of threats, pressures and physical attacks on representatives of professional and critical media in 10 months of this year.
According to the records of the “Slavko Ćuruvija” Foundation, in September alone, representatives of the authorities verbally attacked journalists 141 times, and Reporters Without Borders recorded 89 physical attacks in the last year.
“That’s why, for the umpteenth time, we call on government representatives to immediately stop targeting and negative campaigns against critical media and journalists, because such statements can have dangerous consequences for the safety of those persons and their families,” said ANEM.
Frequent police attacks on journalists
It was emphasized that in August and September alone, 22 police attacks on journalists were recorded while they were reporting from public meetings, and that it is therefore quite justified for journalistic and media associations to take care of the journalistic community and provide them with adequate help, support and equipment in such a situation.
“The media’s reporting on protests, as events of public interest, is one of the basic tasks and roles of journalism in democratic societies, so ANEM considers any accusation of the media for causing violence, interfering with work in the field, and physical violence to be inadmissible,” it was stated.
ANEM once again calls on the representatives of international organizations and the European Commission to condemn such dangerous rhetoric of the president, which is used almost daily against journalists and dissenters.
Source: Vreme
