Two Informer Journalists Convicted of Insulting Lawyer Tomanovic
A Belgrade court convicted Informer's deputy editor-in-chief and a reporter over falsehoods about lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic, whom the tabloid targeted.
- Belgrade's Second Basic Court convicted Informer's deputy editor-in-chief Dejan Vukelic and reporter Anja Vesovic.
- The ruling concerns the spreading of falsehoods and insults against lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic.
- Informer had targeted Tomanovic as an alleged organiser of student blockades and a coup.
- Tomanovic's law office says the verdict confirms that hate speech is a crime, not journalism.
Belgrade’s Second Basic Court has convicted the deputy editor-in-chief of the tabloid Informer, Dejan Vukelic, and reporter Anja Vesovic, for spreading falsehoods and insulting lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic. The verdict was handed down by Judge Snezana Trifunovic, concluding one of the rare criminal proceedings in which journalists were held to account for content the court deemed defamatory and offensive.
Last year, Informer ran an article targeting Tomanovic as an alleged organiser of the student blockades and, as the paper put it, an alleged coup attempt. Tomanovic’s law office said the ruling is significant because it confirms the line between legitimate journalistic reporting and an organised campaign against an individual.
What exactly did the court establish?
The proceedings were held before the Second Basic Court in Belgrade, with the verdict delivered by Judge Snezana Trifunovic. The court found Vukelic and Vesovic responsible for an article containing falsehoods and offensive characterisations of the lawyer, who publicly represents families and participants in a number of current disputes.
The key points of the case can be summarised as follows:
- The convicted parties are Dejan Vukelic, deputy editor-in-chief of Informer, and reporter Anja Vesovic.
- The verdict was handed down for the spreading of falsehoods and insults against lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic.
- In the disputed article, Tomanovic was portrayed as an alleged organiser of blockades and a coup.
- The case was tried before the Second Basic Court, with Judge Snezana Trifunovic presiding.
Tomanovic’s office stressed that the verdict is not aimed against freedom of reporting, but against what it called targeting.
This ruling matters because it confirms that hate speech campaigns constitute a crime, not journalism. The distinction between criticism and the targeting of an individual must remain clear, the law office of Zdenko Tomanovic said.
Does this change the relationship between tabloids and criticism of those in power?
The case fits into a broader debate about pressure on the media and the limits of freedom of expression in Serbia. For months, a public dispute has played out over the role of tabloids which, according to part of the expert community, systematically portray individuals from the protests and the opposition as organisers of violence and upheaval. The Second Basic Court ruling is the first time such a pattern has received a legal qualification in criminal proceedings.
Media freedom advocates have warned for years that the problem is twofold. On one side stands the legitimate need for journalists to report critically on public figures, including lawyers involved in politically sensitive disputes. On the other stands a practice in which criticism turns into a campaign, with repeated falsehoods and accusations made without evidence.
For Informer, regarded as one of the highest-circulation pro-government tabloids, the verdict marks a rare legal setback. The open question now is whether such a decision will influence the editorial practice of other papers with a similar profile, or whether it will be treated as an isolated case.
Where, in your view, does the line fall between sharp journalistic criticism and the targeting of an individual?
