Announcement on the Award for Contribution to Advancing Victims’ Rights Veran Matić, recipient of the Award for Contribution to Advancing Victims’ Rights

The Society’s Board of Directors decided to award the main prize, the Award for  Contribution to Advancing Victims’ Rights, given since 2009, to Veran Matić with  the following justification: 

“Veran Matić is the founder and long-time editor of B92, a radio and television  station that has changed Serbia. He edits the portal javniservis.net, leads the Serbian  Philanthropy Forum, the B92 Fund, and the Association of Independent Electronic  Media. As an envoy of the President of the Republic of Serbia, he has dealt with  issues concerning missing persons from the wars with the Republic of Croatia, heads  the Commission for Investigating the Murders of Journalists, and coordinates  activities related to journalist protection. He has received numerous international  and domestic journalism awards. 

He initiated numerous humanitarian and socially important campaigns, including a  project for building safe houses in Serbia. After the May 2023 crimes, Veran  contributed to preserving the culture of memory and laid the foundations for  memorialization of these events through a series of articles about children who  perished at the “Vladislav Ribnikar” elementary school and young victims in Malo  Orašje and Dubona. Through a series of personal initiatives and together with the  B92 Fund, he addressed tasks that the system did not, mapping the needs of direct  and indirect victims from Malo Orašje and Dubona, and using personal and societal  resources, worked to meet those needs. He continued supporting victims in various  ways even after the collapse of the canopy in Novi Sad on November 1, 2024. This  award is a token of gratitude to Veran for everything he has done and highlights the  significant impact public figures and individuals can have in raising awareness on  violence prevention and response, which Veran has repeatedly demonstrated  throughout his career”. 

In thanking for this valuable recognition, Veran Matić dedicated the award to all  victims and those fighting to ensure they are not forgotten:

“I dedicate this award to everyone who, through empathy and solidarity, peaceful  protests and activism, works daily to ensure victims are not forgotten; that in all  cases deliberately suppressed by official channels, accountability is established,  punishments are delivered, and just compensation is granted. Justice is vital for  healing and for the healthy foundations of future society. 

The persistence of students, high schoolers, and citizens supporting them, insisting  on accountability for the murder of 16 citizens in Novi Sad, should inspire the entire  society to refocus on innocent young victims of mass killings in ‘Ribnikar,’ Dubona,  and Malo Orašje, as well as those killed, missing, injured, raped, displaced, and  permanently deprived of rights during the wars of the 1990s in this region. 

We must not forget those who suffered in various ways during the first and second  decades of the 2000s – from victims of femicide, nearly 250 in the last ten years, to  over 50 who died ‘naturally’ in the 2014 floods, and too many other tragically lost  lives to mention in this brief speech. 

Solidarity and social outrage are the least we can do – thus, rebuilding collapsed and  marginalized institutions and achieving a true transformation from an autocratic  regime into a democratic, humane, and empathetic society is a goal we should all  strive for.” 

Among previous recipients of the award are Brankica Janković, Commissioner for  Gender Equality; Zorica Mršević; Maša Dakić; the Roma Center for Women and  Children Daje; Rodoljub Šabić; Autonomous Women’s Center; Brankica Stanković;  and others.