YIHR says Vucic, Pink TV targeting its activists, asks REM to react

The Initiative said that, during Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s appearance on Pink TV on May 19, this TV station aired video material in which photos and statements by YIHR activist Mila Pajic and late playwright and activist Borka Pavicevic were misused as a tool for the campaign of the coalition assembled around the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and against the Go-Change opposition movement.

“This is not the first time that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic normalizes and encourages political propaganda, hatred and violence by commenting such video material during his appearances. We demand that the REM sanction Pink TV as well as the people in this media outlet responsible for airing this video,” said YIHR.

It added that the ombudsman, the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, and the Information and Telecommunications Ministry all need to react in order to put an end to the practice of misusing television content.

YIHR Program Director Sofija Todorović received threatening calls and messages of disturbing content on Friday, May 18, which only testifies to the practice of targeting peace activists, and the manipulation of activist Mila Pajic’s private photos testifies to the targeting of young people whose views on the wartime past are different from those of the government representatives.

Neither Prime Minister Milos Vucevic nor President Vucic have condemned the threats addressed to YIHR activists, including Mila Pajic, for supporting the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution on Srebrenica, said YIHR.