Veran Matić Targeted with Death Threats as Serbia’s Press Council Rebukes Media Coverage

The Independent Association of Journalists of Serbia (NUJ) has called on state authorities to conduct an urgent security assessment for Veran Matić, the president of the Administrative Board of the Association of Independent Electronic Media, after a series of death threats directed at him on the X platform and Facebook. The threats, which referenced “hydra” and other violent language, follow a history of online harassment and earlier physical attacks on Matić. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has already requested a formal safety evaluation for him and his family.

Separately, Serbia’s Press Council’s complaints committee ruled that the tabloids Informer, Alo and Večernje novosti violated the national journalists’ code in articles covering the attacks on Matić. Headlines that portrayed him as a “martyr” or “liar” and other sensationalist pieces were deemed breaches of professional standards, prompting the council to sanction the outlets for their coverage.