The National Working Group for Combating SLAPPs expresses serious concern over the criminal lawsuit filed by the company “Starting”—one of the main subcontractors on the Novi Sad Railway Station building, from which a canopy collapsed, killing 16 people—against KRIK journalist Sofija Bogosavljev.
KRIK’s investigative article, which prompted the lawsuit, revealed that the company “Starting” had previously faced a number of misdemeanor proceedings for worker injuries at unsecured construction sites. However, most of those proceedings were dismissed due to court delays.
The company has filed a criminal lawsuit against the journalist for “Damaging the reputation and creditworthiness” (Article 239 of the Criminal Code), which carries a penalty of a fine or up to one year in prison—or up to three years if serious consequences occur. This is a private prosecution offense, most often used by companies and powerful individuals in attempts to intimidate or discredit those who deal with matters of public interest. In addition to the journalist, “Starting” also sued six other individuals, including a professor, a lawyer, engineers, an architect, and an opposition politician—all of whom publicly criticized the company’s work.
This lawsuit is yet another example of a case with the characteristics of a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation)—a legal instrument used to intimidate journalists, obstruct their work, and financially exhaust them. Such lawsuits are not intended to protect rights but to suppress freedom of expression and discourage investigative journalism.
Currently, there are 17 ongoing legal proceedings against KRIK’s newsroom and its journalists, initiated by high-ranking officials or companies and individuals closely connected to the government—all because they published investigative reports in the public interest.
The trend of suing journalists based on criminal charges—especially for alleged “reputation damage” by companies working with the state—is particularly dangerous. It represents a legal abuse aimed at criminalizing investigative journalists, putting them on trial as if they were criminals, in order to silence them and deter further reporting.
SLAPP lawsuits, whether civil or criminal, pose an open threat to freedom of expression and the democratic order. Their goal is not to uphold the law, but to exploit the legal system as a tool of pressure against the media.
Since the company “Starting” is contracted for publicly funded projects, it is crucial that the public be informed whether the company complies with the law—and how institutions treat those who violate it.
SLAPP lawsuits have already been recognized as a serious threat to democracy—both the Council of Europe and the European Parliament have called on member states to implement mechanisms to prevent them. Unfortunately, in Serbia, the term has not yet been officially acknowledged, but the pattern of repeated and identical lawsuits clearly points to judicial abuse aimed at silencing all critical voices.
The National Working Group for Combating SLAPPs demands that the state urgently recognize the problem of SLAPP lawsuits and, in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe and the European Union, introduce the necessary measures to prevent them.
Media freedom and the public’s right to know must be protected, and journalists must not be punished for doing their professional work in the interest of citizens.
Belgrade,
July 17, 2025
National Working Group for Combating SLAPPs, composed of:
Civic Initiatives
Partners Serbia
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS)
Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation
KRIK
Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV)
Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM
Association KROKODIL
Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
BIRN Serbia
