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Lawsuits filed against journalists

November 16, 2021


In response to being dubbed an “accused narco-boss” in news about the trial for the more than 1.5 tons of marijuana produced on the plantations of company Jovanjica, company owner Predrag Koluvija – against whom judicial proceedings are being conducted – is suing investigative journalism portal KRIK and its editor Stevan Dojčinović, claiming that the wording of KRIK’s reporting caused him to lose his reputation and good standing in society and among his neighbours.

According to the assessment of Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation Executive Director Ivana Stevanović, this lawsuit is “an attempt to intimidate journalists to cease writing about this case”. KRIK journalist Bojana Jovanović said that Koluvija has received a tailwind through the support of government representatives, which influenced his filing of the lawsuit.

Aleksandar Šapić, vice president of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and president of the Municipality of New Belgrade, has sued Marko Vidojković and Nenad Kulačin, authors of the podcast Dobar, loš, zao [The Good, The Bad and the Ugly]. According to the lawsuit, Vidojković and Kulačin disturbed and upset this high-ranking SNS official in their broadcasts, which is why he is seeking compensation in excess of a million dinars. Interestingly, podcast authors have been exposed to a large number of threats on social networks in recent times.