It is not known who is the author or narrator of the film “Evil Age 2”, in which independent journalists are targeted. Only the Center for Social Stability was signed. Their director himself says that he has not even seen the film
At the end of January, the pro-regime organization Center for Social Stability published a film in which Veran Matic’s mud and that in prime time in the evening on televisions with the national frequency B92 and Prva, as well as on cable television Informer. However, 15 days later, its director and legal representative, Ognjen Karanović, told the Association of Independent Journalists of Serbia that he had not seen the film yet.
“Personally, I haven’t looked yet,” was Karanović’s answer, according to UNS.
When asked if he is familiar with the materials used, he replies that the Center for Social Stability will make an announcement regarding the film in due course.
“First of all, I have to look at him,” repeated Karanović.
When we asked if he could say who the author was shooting, because it was announced as a documentary and that the authors of the films were careful not to be anonymous, Karanović’s answer was that it was the Center for Social Stability.
“I have full confidence in the production team of the Center for Social Stability and that they did it responsibly and thoroughly,” says Karanović, who turned out to be an employee of the state apparatus – he is the assistant secretary for regional development, interregional cooperation and local self-government of Vojvodina.
Neither name nor signature
Although UNS managed to get the answer that the film was not made by Karanović himself, the credits of “Evil Age 2” do not say who is the author of the film, nor who reads the text, whose photos and recordings were used – so it is not yet known which author signs the film. The only thing it says is that it was produced by the Center for Social Stability in January of this year. The photojournalist who took some of the photos that appear in the film tells UNS that no one asked him to publish his work.
In the Agency for Business Registers, next to this organization, there is a phone number that is answered by a person who has not been in it for ten years.
“My name is Lazar Slepčev. I have had nothing to do with that organization for about ten years. I am the founder, but I got out of that story,” Slepčev told UNS and also commented that since he is no longer an authorized person, he cannot remove his phone number and receive ten calls a week. When UNS asked about the activities of the organization, he said that it “doesn’t look like anything”.
“I’m happy I’m not a part of it anymore,” he adds.
The hunt is on.
After the film about Veran Matić, texts were also published on the newly formed regime portals, which are maintained by an associate of the Center. They wrote about Matić’s alleged connection with George Soros, foreign embassies and organizations like USAID, and “serious evidence” of his involvement in the secession of Kosovo was allegedly presented.
The same allegations were published by Informer, which replayed the aforementioned film on Thursday, February 5.
On the occasion of the broadcast of the film and its distribution, journalist and media associations, members of the Permanent Working Group for the Safety of Journalists (SRG), assessed that they were “intimidated and alarmed”, warning that such content opens a public “hunt” for the president of the ANEM Board of Directors.
“It’s a pattern. Hell is coming,” said the president of ANEM’s Board of Directors, Veran Matić, to “Vreme” after the release of the film.
“Distribution of parts of the film through the network.” newly established and recently purchased portals is an attempt to conquer the media space by targeting, inciting and fabricating lies, with the aim of putting pressure on people and organizations that the government sees as a problem both now and in the future”, Matić assesses.
Repression against journalists and the media today, he says, is greater than at any time in the last 30 years.
To be continued
After publishing the film about Veran Matić, the Center for Social Stability then published full list of journalists which they plan to deal with. In addition to the editor-in-chief of “Vremen” Philippa Schwarm, other authors of our editorial office Sloba Georgijev, Radmilo Marković and Željko Bodrožić were also mentioned.
The list also includes journalists from N1, Nova S, BIRN, Radar, KRIK, and Deutsche Welle. After he left his position, the former director of the public service immediately found himself there Dragan Bujosevic.
Source: Vreme
