Napadi na fotoreportere i snimatelje u fokusu policije, parapolicije i nasilnika

English version below

Na Instagram profilu „poljoprivredniblokada“  navedeno je da je juče u Novom Pazaru njihov fotograf, kako je opisano, prilikom snimanja događaja oko Državnog univerziteta Novog Pazara, maltretiran od strane pripadnika MUP-a, koji su ga uhvatili ispod ruke, legitimisali i zahtevali da izbriše fotografije, što je on i učinio. Nakon tog nedopustivog čina, prišli su mu pripadnici policije pod maskama fantomkama sa grubljim pristupom, pretnjama nasiljem, psovkama i nacionalističkim uvredama. Tražili su da pregledaju galeriju koja je već izbrisana naredbom prve policijske ekipe. U saopštenju se kaže i da su „napadi na reportere sve učestaliji jer ne žele da narod zna istinu!“

U isto vreme, sinoć na protestu solidarnosti u Kraljevu, u incidentu koji su izazvali pripadnici SNS koji su iz stranačkih prostorija polivali šmrkovima policiju i mirne građana i gađali ih jajima, u intervenciji koja nije ničim izazvana, pripadnik policije udarao je po rukama i po kameri snimatelja Nova S televizije Dragana Jekovića, onemogućavajući ga da radi svoj posao i nanoseći mu povrede.

Fotografi i snimatelji su u prvom planu kada je reč o brojnim napadima na medijske radnike u poslednjih nekoliko meseci. I pre protesta od novembra prošle godine, prilikom demonstracija i nasilnih protesta dešavalo se da su i oni napadani i povređivani.

Od napada na kamermane Juronjuza i N1 5. novembra u Novom Sadu, koji još uvek nisu sankcionisani, fotografi i snimatelji su planirane mete pripadnika parapolicijskih snaga iz obezbeđenja skupova SNS, policije i, posebno, interventnih jedinica maskiranih fantomkama.

Pored navedenih snimatelja, i njihov kolega Aleksandar Cvrkotić sa N1 je česta meta udaraca i pokušaja da se ošteti oprema i kamera. U toku intervencija žandarmerije na Vidovdan, udarani su i povređivani snimatelji FoNeta Zoran Drekalović i Darko Pavlović, a asistent snimatelja N1 TV dobio je teže povrede. Marjan Vučetić je u okolini Kosjerića fizički napadnut pred predsednikom SNS.

Fotograf i slobodni novinar Gavrilo Andrić, koji je napravio neke od najboljih fotografija na studentskim i građanskim protestima, česta je meta napada od strane predstavnika vladajuće stranke i privođenja od strane policije. Prećeno mu je i ubistvom. Fotograf Aleksa Stanković je takođe više puta napadan a najdrastičnije od strane policije koja je, kako je opisao, vršila torturu nad njim u policijskom vozilu zbog toga što je dva dana ranije napravio snimke na kojima se vide pripadnici policije koji vulgarno dobacuju prolaznicama. Uz brojne šamare, više puta su njegovom glavom udarali o prozor vozila. Uništili su mu memorijsku karticu, a tražili su i da obriše svoj Instagram profil.

Novinar Darko Gligorijević je priveden, proveo noć u pritvoru a mobilni telefon kojim je snimao događaj, vraćen mu je tek nedelju dana kasnije. Jutjuber Neven Krstić i njegov snimatelj brutalno su pretučeni od neidentifikovanih nasilnika koji sprečavaju novinare da obavljaju svoj posao u Pionirskom parku. Nepoznati nasilnik oteo je u Novom Sadu mobilni telefon od Zorana Strike, novinara Radija 021, i bacio ga u Dunav…

Ovo je samo deo nasilja koji je zabeležen u proteklih nekoliko meseci prema fotografima i snimateljima.

ANEM poziva Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova i Direkciju policije da izdaju naređenja kojima će se zabraniti nasilje nad fotografima, snimateljima i novinarima. Službu unutrašnje kontrole da ispita sve slučajeve napada od strane pripadnika policijskih snaga i torture prema novinarima, fotografima i snimateljima.

Pozivamo i redakcije da opreme fotografe, snimatelje i novinare zaštitnom opremom i omoguće da, sa dodatnim članom tima, budu bezbedniji dok obavljaju svoj posao.

Pozivamo i udruženja novinara i sindikalne organizacije da posebno štite slobodne novinare, fotografe i snimatelje, jer su često najugroženiji upravo zbog toga što nemaju matičnu redakciju koja bi štitila njihova prava.

ANEM odaje posebno priznanje „frilenserima“ koji su sve važniji deo medijske zajednice, naročito u situacijama kada je sve manje profesionalnih medija i kada su njihovi radovi predstavljeni na društvenim mrežama, veoma važan doprinos objektivnom informisanju i transparetnosti kada je reč o praćenju događaja koji nose najviše opasnosti po bezbednost novinara.

Veran Matić, predsednik UO ANEM-a i član Stalne radne grupe za bezbednost novinara

Projekat “Sistem prevencije nasilja i zaštite novinara”, sprovodi ANEM sa partnerima Insajder TV i Centar za razvoj lokalnih medija, a uz podršku Evropske Unije i Balkanskog fonda za demokratiju.

Photographers and Cameramen Under Attack by Police, Paramilitary Groups, and Thugs

On the Instagram profile “poljoprivredniblokada”, it was reported that yesterday in Novi Pazar, their photographer was harassed by members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs while covering events around the State University of Novi Pazar. The police allegedly grabbed him by the arm, demanded identification, and ordered him to delete the photos he had taken — which he did. After this unacceptable act, masked police officers in balaclavas approached him, behaving more aggressively, issuing threats of violence, cursing, and making nationalist slurs. They demanded to see his photo gallery, which had already been erased by the first police team’s orders. The statement concludes: “Attacks on reporters are becoming more frequent because they don’t want the people to know the truth!”

At the same time, during a solidarity protest in Kraljevo last night, an incident was provoked by SNS members who sprayed water at police and peaceful citizens from party offices and threw eggs at them. In the unprovoked police intervention that followed, a police officer hit Nova S TV cameraman Dragan Jeković on his hands and camera, injuring him and preventing him from doing his job.

Photographers and cameramen are often on the front line of the attacks on media workers in last couple of months. Even before the protests that began in November of last year, during earlier demonstrations and violent events, they were frequently attacked and injured.

Since November — specifically, since the unsanctioned attacks on Euronews and N1 cameramen on November 5 in Novi Sad — photographers and cameramen have become planned targets of paramilitary units guarding SNS gatherings, regular police, and especially masked intervention units.

In addition to the aforementioned individuals, N1’s Aleksandar Cvrkotić is regularly targeted with attempts to damage his equipment. On Vidovdan, during a gendarmerie intervention, FoNet cameramen Zoran Drekalović and Darko Pavlović were assaulted and injured, while an assistant from N1 suffered serious injuries. Marjan Vučetić was physically attacked near Kosjerić in the presence of the SNS president.

Freelance photographer and journalist Gavrilo Andrić, who captured some of the most striking images of the student and civic protests, is a frequent target of attacks by ruling party members and has been detained multiple times by police. He has also received death threats.

Photographer Aleksa Stanković has also been attacked multiple times, most severely by police officers who, according to his account, tortured him in a police vehicle due to footage he had taken two days earlier showing officers making vulgar remarks to women in public. He was repeatedly slapped, and his head was slammed into the window of the vehicle. His memory card was destroyed, and they demanded he delete his Instagram profile.

Journalist Darko Gligorijević was detained overnight, and the phone he used to record an incident was returned to him only a week later. YouTuber Neven Krstić and his cameraman were brutally beaten by unidentified assailants in Pionirski Park while trying to report. In Novi Sad unknown attackers also seized journalist Zoran Strika’s phone (Radio 021) and threw it into the Danube River.

These are just a few examples of violence against photographers and cameramen in recent months.

ANEM calls on the Ministry of the Interior and Police Directorate to issue orders explicitly banning violence against photographers, cameramen, and journalists. We call on the Internal Control Department to investigate all cases involving police attacks or torture against media workers.

We also urge newsrooms to provide photographers, cameramen, and journalists with protective equipment and consider assigning an additional team member to improve their safety in the field.

We call on journalists’ associations and trade unions to place special emphasis on protecting freelance journalists, photographers, and cameramen — as they are often the most vulnerable due to lacking the institutional support of a parent media outlet.

ANEM expresses special recognition for freelancers, who have become an increasingly vital part of the media community — particularly at a time when there are fewer professional media outlets. Their work, often shared on social media, is a crucial contribution to objective reporting and transparency, especially when covering high-risk events for media workers.

Veran Matić, ANEM Board President and member of the Permanent Working Group for Safety of Journalists

Project “Violence prevention system and protection of journalists” is implemented by ANEM with partners Insajder TV & Center for local media development, with support from EU and Balkan Trust for Democracy.