SERBIA/KOSOVO: We welcome the arrest of the perpetrator behind online attacks against Zana Cimili’s

SERBIA, BELGRADE, Jul 8 — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo earned the journalist and her family threats from Serbian ring-wingers.

As we reported a few days ago, a formerly unidentified person left a threat underneath a picture of Zana’s child on instagram. You can read our complete statement about the events here. The culprit, who is a Serbian national, has now been found and apprehended by Serbian authorities.Zana is a Kosovar-Albanian journalist stationed in Belgrade, where she works for N1 channel and AFPTV. Her organizations often offer alternative narratives to what is being peddled by both Pristina and Belgrade.

The CFWIJ applauds the speedy response of the authorities to threats faced by Zana. Under no circumstances is it ever okay for women journalists to have to choose between their work and their family.

We spoke to Zana about her ordeal, who welcomed the support she got. “Any and all responses condemning attacks against journalists is welcome, especially coming from the head of the government of Serbia, a country that has fallen for more than 10 spots in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index for two years in a row,” she said.

However, Zana feels that the authorities have a long way to go. “What was surprising to me and the people who are familiar with the media situation in Serbia is that the government did not react and even ignored attacks on other journalists in the country, even hunger strikes on the part of some high-profile journalists whose lives were at stake, yet chooses to react to a journalist based in Kosovo, a territory Serbia continues to claim is its own.“

This then begs the question — was this just a political ploy, meant to satisfy foreign observers of Serbia’s attitudes towards press freedoms? It is unfortunate that even when facing such difficult situations, journalists are used as a means for politicians to score political points, both locally and abroad.

"The television channel I work for is considered to be one of the most critical regional TV outlets and has often been the subject of verbal attacks by the current president of Serbia as well as members of the government, and its journalists get ignored, harassed and sometimes outright banned from events because of their critical reporting. It is, therefore, difficult to assume that this reaction was done merely in good will.” she added.

While the arrest is a welcome development, it is important for Serbian authorities to take this opportunity to do more. The Coalition For Women In Journalism urges authorities to follow through this case. The Balkans are not an easy space for journalists to work in, and it is important for a robust reaction to these actions — so far, the authorities have taken the needed step in the right direction.

Zana said: “The arrest of the man who threatened me and my daughter sends an important message — that you cannot assume to hide behind the guise of social media when threatening journalists. Many people denigrate, harass, and try to disqualify the work of honest and hardworking journalists by targeting them on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, since it is easier and involves less risk upon oneself. Especially in Serbia, where online attacks on journalists by pro-government bots are some of the highest in the region.“

"It also sends a strong inter-ethnic message, because I was targeted because of my ethnic background as a journalist reporting for Serbian outlets yet being from Kosovo. While I regret any situation where more attention is placed on the journalist rather than their work, since I think our reporting should always get the most attention, I hope there will be some long-term positive outcomes to this. I was also touched by the massive show of support I received from journalists in Kosovo, Serbia and the wider Balkan region,” she added.

###

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ.

Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org