Complaint Against Pink TV over Serbia Coup Claims

The Independent Association of Journalists, NUNS, has filed an official complaint against Pink TV after it broadcast claims made by a tabloid news editor that a coup d'état would take place in Serbia on Monday.

NUNS lodged the complaint with the Serbian Regulatory Body for Electronic Media on Monday, claiming the television channel breached media regulations by broadcasting content that could incite discrimination, hatred or violence against people or groups who were accused of preparing a violent putsch.

"In that manner, individuals and institutions are placed in a context that could endanger their security," NUNS said in the complaint, referring to the claims made by Dragan Vucicevic, editor of the tabloid newspaper Informer.

During the interview broadcast on Saturday, Vucicevic named about a dozen people he claimed were involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

Vucicevic alleged that Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic, along with other ministers, police officials, politicians, journalists and a businessman were planning a coup d'état on Monday, November 23 and urged Vucic to cancel a scheduled visit to Beijing.

"I beg you not to go, Serbia will descend into chaos," Vucicevic said in a highly emotional speech.

In a rambling 30-minute interview, he explained how he believes a network of foreign intelligence services, including the CIA, media outlets that have been highly critical of the government and others were trying to oust the prime minister.

His comments were replayed numerous times by Pink TV and Vucicevic repeated the allegations during an appearance for the TV channel Studio B broadcast later that day.

While his allegations were...