The Coalition for Media Freedom and the SafeJournalists Network strongly condemn the attack that took place on the night between Saturday and Sunday, when three masked individuals wearing balaclavas vandalized the car of David Gruhonjić, the son of journalist and university professor Dinko Gruhonjić.
The fact that the attack was carried out by three individuals concealing their identities is particularly alarming, as it indicates a premeditated act intended to intimidate. This manner of execution sends a message that the targets are no longer only journalists themselves, but also members of their families, representing a dangerous escalation of pressure and threats to their safety.
This incident cannot be viewed in isolation. For years, Dinko Gruhonjić has been one of the most frequent targets of threats, smear campaigns, and public vilification in Serbia. Over the years, he has been subjected to numerous threats, coordinated discrediting campaigns, and physical attacks. Almost none of these cases has received an adequate legal resolution, illustrating the long-standing pattern of impunity for attacks and threats against journalists.
It is particularly concerning that, throughout the past week alone, Gruhonjić was the target of an intensive smear campaign in pro-government media outlets, joined by certain public officials and political actors. Such campaigns further fuel hostility toward journalists and pose a serious risk to their safety. When journalists are publicly labelled for days as enemies, traitors, or legitimate targets, responsibility for the consequences of such rhetoric lies precisely with those who use and promote this language. All of the above inevitably raises serious suspicion that this attack was carried out by actors connected to the authorities, with the support of various violent groups operating in accordance with their interests and directives.
The attack on the property of a journalist’s family member is a dangerous signal that pressure is no longer confined to journalists’ professional work, but is extending to those closest to them. This is why institutions must treat this case with the utmost seriousness.
We call on the police and the prosecution authorities to promptly identify and prosecute those responsible for this attack and to keep the public informed about the progress and results of the investigation. State institutions have an obligation to protect journalists and their families, especially when individuals have been exposed to sustained campaigns of targeting and intimidation.
The Coalition for Media Freedom and the SafeJournalists Network will continue to closely monitor this case and inform both domestic and international audiences, while insisting on accountability for all forms of violence, intimidation, and persecution directed against journalists.
Coalition for Media Freedom: the Media Association, the Online Media Association (AOM), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (IJAV), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), the Business Association of Local and Independent Media “Lokal Pres,” the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, and the “Nezavisnost” Branch Trade Union of Culture, Art and Media
SafeJournalists Network: Croatian Journalists’ Association, Association of Journalists of Kosovo, Association of Journalists of Macedonia, BH Journalists Association, Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia and Trade Union of Media of Montenegro
