Radar journalist Vuk Cvijić has stated that threats directed at him and the Radar editorial team following the publication of an investigative article have been reported to Serbia’s Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime, but that previous experiences give little reason for optimism that the case will be resolved.
The threats followed the publication of an article examining an amendment submitted by members of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to the Draft Law on Public Prosecutors, an amendment that, according to Radar, could hinder the work of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.
“None of the Previous Threats Have Been Prosecuted”
Speaking to N1, Cvijić recalled that neither past threats nor a previous physical attack against him have resulted in court epilogues.
“The threats were reported immediately to the Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime. Unfortunately, earlier experiences of my colleagues are not encouraging. It is strange that such a text would provoke reactions, because it deals with preventing the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime from doing exactly what its name implies – fighting the mafia,” Cvijić said.
He added that the tone and language of the threats clearly do not resemble criminal underworld rhetoric, but rather that of those in political power.
Pattern of Pressure and Intimidation
Cvijić has been repeatedly targeted in the past, including telephone threats warning him to “be careful what he publishes” and even physical attacks. He described the latest threats as electronic, noting that although less severe than previous incidents, they reflect a broader climate of intimidation.
“This shows that we live in a country that increasingly resembles a case of domestic violence, where the abuser is the government. As in such situations, violence escalates, and I fear that this is our near future unless one day we collectively say no to the abuser,” Cvijić said.
Calls for Immediate Action
The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) has called on the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor’s Office for High-Tech Crime to urgently investigate and sanction the individual responsible for a series of insults and threats of violence directed at the entire Radar newsroom and journalist Vuk Cvijić.
