November 16, 2023
A conference to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, jointly organised by the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, saw the Belgrade Court of Appeal called on to make public the verdict that was passed several months ago against defendants in the trial for the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija.
The murderers of journalists Ćuruvija and Milan Pantić continue to evade justice, while a verdict has yet to be passed in the case of the arson attack on the house of journalist Milan Jovanović. Journalists continue to be targeted by pro-government media and politicians and are unable do their job securely, said SĆF director Ivana Stevanović speaking at the opening of the conference.
Public prosecutor Branko Stamenković declined to comment on the failure to make public the verdict in the trial for the murder of Ćuruvija, saying that doing so would place pressure on the court. He noted that the prosecution had demonstrated its position in this case through the indictment and the entire legal procedure.
German Ambassador Anke Konrad and Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Jan Braathu, both spoke about the need for justice to be served in cases of crimes against journalists. U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill was also a guest of the conference.
The conference included the presenting of results of the annual Report on the Protection of Freedom of Speech in the Judicial System of Serbia, while participants also discussed hate speech against journalists and the work of the Standing Working Group on the Safety of Journalists.
