Nova S TV journalist Jelena Obucina received terrifying threats to her safety through social networks over texts by the pro-regime tabloids Alo and Informer, in which her comments were taken out of context and twisted. The messages Obucina received said she will be “impaled” and “burned.”

Obucina told the daily Danas that she has reported the threats to the relevant authorities, that she is upset and believes that the threats are orchestrated.

“There are no ‘accidental attacks’ in this country. The attack is orchestrated and I hope that those who have given the orders are pleased. They threaten me with impalement. Some heroes, these ‘President’s men,’” said Obucina.

The SafeJournalists network said these threats came after the tabloid Alo stated (and tabloid Informer republished) on its website that the journalist threatened Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the introduction of the program Dnevnik on November 29 that he would be “buried”. This tabloid maliciously interpreted her introduction in which she says in jargon that Vucic will “bury himself” if he does not “get smart” about Kosovo and sanctions against Russia, said SafeJournalists.

Zeljko Bodrozic, the president of the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), said that this time again terrible threats and insults come after state officials and their propagandists focus on undesirable journalists and find assassinations and conspiracies in their critical commentary.

“Jelena Obucina is now exposed to the organized persecution of the regime and we see how these lies and spins are transmitted to the citizens, who are indoctrinated and really think that the journalist is an enemy of Serbia and the Serbian people and are able to send her such terrible messages. IJAS supports the colleague in her professional work, which is exemplary, and in cooperation with partner associations we will do everything to protect her and her newsroom,” said Bodrozic.

The SafeJournalists network, which represents more than 8,200 media professionals in the Western Balkans, joins its member IJAS and condemns the threats to the journalist, said the network.

“The SafeJournalists network calls on the competent institutions in Serbia to urgently take all measures so that the persons who threatened the journalist get prosecuted and punished. In this way, institutions should show determination to combat heinous threats against journalists and send a clear message that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable,” said the SafeJournalists network.