Journalistic and media associations within the Permanent Working Group (SRG): Through intimidating and fabricated claims, the Center for Social Stability is inciting a lynch against Veran Matić

One of the most serious threatening messages in the film is conveyed through a carefully selected photograph showing Veran Matić in Svetogorska Street in Belgrade, at the site where journalist and publisher Slavko Ćuruvija was murdered. The authors must have known that Veran Matić, through his work in the Commission for the Investigation of Murders of Journalists, contributed for years to the collection of evidence and insisted on shedding light on that crime. They must also have known that campaigns of fabricated accusations of “treason” and being “foreign agents” were part of the atmosphere that preceded the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija, which is why such content today appears as a deliberate invocation of the same pattern of targeting.

What is additionally concerning is the fact that the Center for Social Stability, the organization acting as a propaganda generator in this film, enjoys public affirmation from the holders of the highest state offices: Ana Brnabić has described it as a “fantastic non-governmental organization,” while Aleksandar Vučić has referred to it as “true Serbian patriots”. Such messages legitimize the work of actors who, through targeting and insinuations, generate social danger, instead of strengthening standards of public information and the safety of those working in the public interest.

The content in question also targets numerous journalists and editors, including Stevan Dojčinović, as well as Kruna Savović, a lawyer and representative of NUNS within the SRG, along with journalistic and media associations.

Members of the SRG call on the highest state officials, in line with undertaken international obligations and accepted standards of media rights and freedoms, to strongly condemn the screening of this content and to clearly state that any targeting of journalists, media outlets, and civil society organizations is unacceptable.

We also expect state bodies and institutions, through their public messages, not to leave even the slightest room for relativizing campaigns that, through insinuations and labeling, encourage pressure and endanger safety, and to ensure protection and effective response mechanisms for all those affected by this content. Such campaigns do not intimidate only individuals, but attempt to silence the entire professional community and discourage any work carried out in the public interest.

We also call on the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media to register and determine violations of relevant media laws through the broadcasting of the film “Dark Times 2” and to act in accordance with its powers to protect the public interest.

We recall that in mid-last year we condemned the endangerment of Veran Matić’s safety by President Vučić, who said on TV Pink, in the program “Hit Tweet,” that it would be good for Matić to apologize to those who were “arrested, detained, and convicted because of him, to have that nicely erased from their records,” and that these were “innocent people” to whom Matić should bring whiskey or a bottle of wine.

Finally, we point out that Veran Matić spent a full six years under round-the-clock police protection due to threats to his safety, and that it is frightening that the time of fear for his security has returned.

The Permanent Working Group, founded in January 2017, in addition to representatives of the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, includes six journalistic and media associations—the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association of Vojvodina (NDNV), the Media Association (AM), the Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM), the Online Media Association (AOM)—as well as the OSCE Mission to Serbia in its capacity as an observer.