ANEM protests over articles published in Informer

BELGRADE The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) is strongly protesting over the articles recently published in the daily Informer. ANEM points out that the tabloid had published articles that "at the very least inappropriately" debate on the conditions, manner and reasons for granting security to B92 Editor-in-Chief Veran Matic. ANEM protests over articles published in Informer Police Director Milorad Veljovic announced in the meanwhile that no security assessment was done based on personal requests, but that the police follow only the professional assessment of the situation, and that decisions on whom to grant security are reached together with the Ministry of the Interior, Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime, and the BIA. ANEM points out that in these articles, Veran Matic is accused of arrogance because of the cost to the budget of the Republic of Serbia on account of his security detail. "The last two editions of Informer went so far that, without any information about the reasons for the competent authorities to assess the need to assign police protection to Matic and for such decision to be upheld until today, speculate that the editor of B92 does not need any security at all," the association said on Monday. ANEM notes that the assessment of security threats to each person in Serbia, Veran Matic included, is done by the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia, not the person who is assigned that security. After the assessment of the security threat to a person, the competent authorities issue a final decision, while further assessment of the security threat to that person guides the decision on the duration of the measure. ANEM notes that Veran Matic is not the only journalist or editor of the media in Serbia who has police protection. "Besides to him, RTS General Director Aleksandar Tijanic, Insider author and editor Brankica Stankovic, journalist Vladimir Mitric and others for which it is estimated that their lives are in danger, also enjoy police protection," the association said, and added that Informer's own editor, Dragan J.Vucicevic, also had police protection at one point. ANEM stressed that what was very concerning in the writing of Informer was the blaming the person under the police protection, in this case, Veran Matic, for the costs, and describing him as arrogant because of the assessment of the state authorities that it is necessary for him to be under police protection for more than two years now - rather than describing him as a colleague whose life is in danger all the time. B92 has also sent a protest on the occasion of Informer's reporting, in which Veran Matic is accused of arrogance because of the cost to the state of his security. ANEM considers it unacceptable that Informer, rather than supporting a colleague, is sending messages that call into question the system of determining police protection, which further endangers the safety of Veran Matic, and the safety of those who are currently under police protection or will be in the future. In this way, the potential attackers are also encouraged, because the victims of attacks and threats are presented as demanding to be given police protection on a whim, and the attention is being drawn from the key issue, and that is the safety of journalists. That journalists are threatened is evidents from the cases of murder of Milan Pantic, Dada Vujasinovic, Slavko Curuvija, the attempted murder and Dejan Anastasijevic almost daily attacks on journalists, said the statement. ANEM, while noting that in the past reporters asked similar questions about the security of Zoran Djindjic, appeals to colleagues at Informer to respect the security threat assessment concerning Veran Matic, but also calls on the state authorities to inform the public about what was being done and what action was taken to protect journalists in Serbia, other than granting them police protection. B92

ANEM protests over articles published in Informer

Police Director Milorad Veljović announced in the meanwhile that no security assessment was done based on personal requests, but that the police follow only the professional assessment of the situation, and that decisions on whom to grant security are reached together with the Ministry of the Interior, Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime, and the BIA.

ANEM points out that in these articles, Veran Matić is accused of arrogance because of the cost to the budget of the Republic of Serbia on account of his security detail. "The last two editions of Informer went so far that, without any information about the reasons for the competent authorities to assess the need to assign police protection to Matić and for such decision to be upheld until today, speculate that the editor of B92 does not need any security at all," the association said on Monday.

ANEM notes that the assessment of security threats to each person in Serbia, Veran Matić included, is done by the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia, not the person who is assigned that security. After the assessment of the security threat to a person, the competent authorities issue a final decision, while further assessment of the security threat to that person guides the decision on the duration of the measure.

ANEM notes that Veran Matić is not the only journalist or editor of the media in Serbia who has police protection.

"Besides to him, RTS General Director Aleksandar Tijanić, Insider author and editor Brankica Stanković, journalist Vladimir Mitrić and others for which it is estimated that their lives are in danger, also enjoy police protection," the association said, and added that Informer's own editor, Dragan J.Vučićević, also had police protection at one point.

ANEM stressed that what was very concerning in the writing of Informer was the blaming the person under the police protection, in this case, Veran Matić, for the costs, and describing him as arrogant because of the assessment of the state authorities that it is necessary for him to be under police protection for more than two years now - rather than describing him as a colleague whose life is in danger all the time.

B92 has also sent a protest on the occasion of Informer's reporting, in which Veran Matić is accused of arrogance because of the cost to the state of his security.

ANEM considers it unacceptable that Informer, rather than supporting a colleague, is sending messages that call into question the system of determining police protection, which further endangers the safety of Veran Matić, and the safety of those who are currently under police protection or will be in the future.

In this way, the potential attackers are also encouraged, because the victims of attacks and threats are presented as demanding to be given police protection on a whim, and the attention is being drawn from the key issue, and that is the safety of journalists. That journalists are threatened is evidents from the cases of murder of Milan Pantić, Dada Vujasinović, Slavko Ćuruvija, the attempted murder and Dejan Anastasijević almost daily attacks on journalists, said the statement.

ANEM, while noting that in the past reporters asked similar questions about the security of Zoran Đinđić, appeals to colleagues at Informer to respect the security threat assessment concerning Veran Matić, but also calls on the state authorities to inform the public about what was being done and what action was taken to protect journalists in Serbia, other than granting them police protection.