The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) strongly condemns the threats directed at Veran Matić, President of the Managing Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), via the social media platform X, and calls on the competent authorities to urgently identify the person responsible and prosecute them in accordance with the law.
The threat was posted from the account @glisha_m, accompanied by the message “Let’s cut off the hydra’s head!” and a photograph of Veran Matić. The post appeared under a clip from the television programme Bez cenzure (“Without Censorship”), in which Matić appeared as a guest, published on X.
IJAS warns that these threats, which amount to a call for the murder of Veran Matić, pose a serious threat to his safety. They come after months of targeting, discrediting, and smear campaigns against Matić in pro-government media. The continuous portrayal of individuals as “enemies,” accompanied by hate speech and calls for violence, creates an atmosphere in which such threats become an expected consequence.
We remind the public that the lack of a timely response by the institutions further endangers the safety of the person being threatened and sends the message that death threats and other forms of intimidation are tolerated, thereby encouraging further attacks.
IJAS calls on the police and the competent public prosecutor’s office to immediately identify the person behind the @glisha_m account, investigate all the circumstances of this case, and take all measures prescribed by law to ensure that the perpetrator is prosecuted.
The Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia reiterates that every attack or threat against journalists and media professionals constitutes an attack on freedom of expression and the public’s right to be informed. Effective protection of journalists and a decisive institutional response are essential for preserving a safe environment for media work and for safeguarding a democratic society.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS)
Belgrade, 30 July 2026
