Investigative journalist collective KRIK invites readers to pay them donations in order to pay 89.800 dinars in the name of compensation and court costs Dear Colluvia, accused of being the head of a group that produced and sold marijuana with Jovanjica.
As reported by KRIK, this is the first final judgment against KRIK. They announce an attempt to review before the Supreme Court and a constitutional appeal.
It can be seen from the judgment of the Court of Appeal that the media company was condemned for using the terms "accused drug lord" and "marijuana plantation".
That's why the court, just like the first-instance court, considered that KRIK labeled Koluvia "a perpetrator of a punishable crime, although there is no court decision on this."
"The factual claims made in relation to the plaintiff are incorrect and by their nature capable of causing mental pain, and the plaintiff felt great shame after the publication of the article," reads the judgment of the Appellate Court.
The great shame and pain of the owner of Jovanjica was not that expensive - 30.000 dinars. The rest goes to the costs of the trial. KRIK states that the whole process cost them around two thousand euros.
KRIK's arguments were not recognized
Editor Stevan Dojčinović explained before the court that the texts always clearly stated that Koluvija was "accused" and not "convicted" and that the reader could not have been mistaken.
"In the case (to use exclusively legal expressions), when we mention Koluvija, we would always have to write for him that he is accused as the organizer of an organized criminal group whose aim was to commit criminal acts of unauthorized production and distribution of narcotic drugs," he explained. is Dojčinović.
He also pointed out that KRIK in this case emulated the leading world media that report in the same way and use the English term "accused narco boss" - which literally means "accused drug boss".
Some journalist associations and media organizations pointed out earlier that KRIK did not violate the presumption of innocence and evaluated Koluvia's lawsuit as pressure on the newsroom and an attempt to silence.
Koluvija is leading another case against KRIK in which it is demanding as much as 2,8 million dinars for seven KRIK news. In these proceedings as well, Koluvija is represented by lawyer Vladimir Đukanović, a leader of the Serbian Progressive Party.
As KRIK adds, there are currently 16 proceedings against them, and the editors assess those lawsuits as pressure and a way to prevent them from doing their job.
