European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) President Maja Sever has called for an investigation into attacks against N1 journalist Predrag Popovic.
She said that the authorities must establish who leaked his correspondence with the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office to tabloid media.
Popovic came under attack after sending the prosecution a request for comments about the funeral of Ratko Mladic. Pro-regime Tabloid media published his email request verbatim and accused him of anti-Serb views and calling for the arrest of Serbs. He subsequently received threats.
This campaign against a man who legitimately asked a journalistic question of institutions is unacceptable, Sever said.
She said responsibility lay both with whoever leaked the official correspondence and with the media outlets that published it.
Sever stressed that journalists must be able to contact public institutions without fear of being targeted or intimidated. She warned that such campaigns could have a chilling effect on other journalists and undermine their ability to carry out their work.
She urged the prosecution to investigate how the correspondence was obtained and published, and to hold those responsible accountable.
Source: N1
