Slavko Ćuruvija was a journalist and owner of “Dnevni Telegraf” and “Evropljanin”. Due to his critical writings about the regime of Slobodan Milošević, he was often the target of the regime’s media. The text entitled “Ćuruvija welcomes the bombs,” published in “Politika Ekspres” and read on the air of a national TV broadcaster RTS, is considered to be an announcement of his murder. He was shot from behind in the hallway of the building where he lived in the center of Belgrade. The killer who fired 17 bullets at Ćuruvija was identified as NN, the killer was named by the prosecutor as Miroslav Kurak who is a former member of the State Security. Ratko Romić was the person who pistol-whipped Branka Prpa, Slavko Ćuruvija’s partner. Romić at that time was a member of the State Security N.N., while members of the State Security provided them with logistical support. The court proceedings are still ongoing. On the anniversary of Ćuruvija’s murder 24 years ago, journalists and representatives of international journalistic organizations in Belgrade met with journalists who are facing attacks. They participated in the conference organized by colleagues from the journalistic organizations NUNS, UNS and the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation. After that, they organised a walk along the last path Slavko Ćuruvija walked, with his famous statement “The truth is our victory”. This commemorative walk paid tribute to Ćuruvija and his commitment to journalistic honesty.
Twenty-four years after the Ćuruvija’s murder, journalists in Serbia are still exposed to attacks which are often initiated by the representatives from the highest political positions. Colleagues who are the target of various chases, attacks, and severe threats joined the procession while remembering Slavko Ćuruvija. The critical message is that we are together in the fight to protect the safety of journalists and to send the message that impunity for crimes against journalists is unacceptable.
Unfortunately, the current atmosphere in society shows that not much has changed in these 24 years. Journalists work in conditions and an atmosphere reminiscent of the times in which the life of Slavko Ćuruvija tragically ended. Threats to journalists and newsrooms, raids by tabloids and threats pronounced by leading politicians are the picture of the media scene in Serbia. On the first day of the visit to Belgrade, representatives of international oragnizations spoke with journalists from numerous newsrooms. Terrible stories about threats, insults, and chases often initiated by people at or near the top of the government, were heard. For example, after the publication of a video targeting certain media outlets, which was also shared by Prime Minister Brnabić, an unknown person on the street shouted to journalist: “Are you still alive?”. Furthermore, other journalist from a local media found a pig’s leg on the entrance door after insults and threats on social media. 
KRIK journalists’ apartments were broken into, but nothing was stolen. The editor of Žig testified about fierce attacks; he was beaten, and the house of his colleague Milan Jovanović was set on fire. Those journalists feel abandoned, forgotten and unprotected. In the nineties, they say, it was terrible; the Milosevic regime killed journalists, but then they had support from Europe and international organizations. Today, journalists must leave the country due to threats and a lack of protection in Serbia, but nobody seems to care. On the second day of the visit, the representatives of journalistic organizations met the working group for the safety of journalists. The framework for protecting journalists looks excellent on paper, but implementation and practical protection are still lacking. Statistics do not give an accurate picture of the situation because journalists often do not report attacks due to a lack of trust in the system. The prosecutor’s office often rejects reports, as some journalists testified. And just because of semantics – the attacker said – you should be killed, not I will kill you. At the “Defence of the Truth” conference, there was a discussion about protection systems, solidarity and about what we can do together to support journalists. Ivana Stevanović, executive director of the Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation, said that the verdict against the killers of Slavko Ćuruvija would send a clear message in which direction we want Serbian society to develop. “Do we want to cover up politically motivated murders from the nineties, or do we want to face the crimes committed in the name and at the state expense? Do we want to build the rule of law and a functional democracy? Furthermore, it will represent a strong message to all journalists and media workers in Serbia, whether the state is ready to protect them”, said Ivana Stevanovic.
She also called on politicians to refrain from attacking and verbally confronting journalists who report critically and to immediately condemn any threat and targeting of those who perform their work in the public interest. Jelena Ćuruvija, daughter of Slavko Ćuruvija, founder of the foundation, warned that local journalists are the most vulnerable and unprotected from the pressures of influential local people, and that the goal of the “Slavko Ćuruvija Foundation” is to protect journalists enabling them not to give up journalism. She added that today journalists are killed in other ways, they suffer pressures and threats, which is the reason why they leave their jobs.
Matthew Caruana Galicia stated that the testimonies of journalists from Serbia reminded him of his mother’s life and about what she went through during his upbringing and throughout her 30-year career. While reminding them that his family waited a long time for the verdict and that three murderers were convicted, but three people are still awaiting the verdict, he assessed that impunity for killing a journalist sends a wrong message. Veran Matić from the Commission for the Safety of Journalists said he hoped this would be the last year without a verdict for the murderers. He shared that there are advances in solving the murder of Milan Pantić, but in the case of the murder of Dada Vujasinović, there is no evidence. Tamara Filipović presented the data collected in the Safe Journalist project. She emphasized that threats to journalists by the very top of the government create an atmosphere where it is legitimate to attack a journalist, and no one will be punished for it.
After the panel, with the message “Truth is our victory”, journalists, representatives of international journalistic organizations, and citizens walked along the route Slavko Ćuruvija used to go home. This year, representatives of the European Federation of Journalists – EFJ, European Center for Press and Media Freedom ECPMF, IFJ – International Federation of Journalists, Reporters sans frontières / Reporters Without Borders / RSF, Osservatorio Balccani, Article 19 joined the commemoration of the murder of journalist Slavka Ćurubija. They came to show solidarity, but we also agreed on continued cooperation and joint work on strengthening the system for protecting the safety of journalists.
